A 2011 study conducted by Michael Norton, Daniel Mochon, & Dan Ariely found that subjects were willing to pay a 63% premium for something they assembled on their own versus an identical pre-assembled product.
Psychologists call this the IKEA effect. We tend to value something more if we built it ourselves.
One of us had our own run-in with the IKEA effect this summer. Our deck was peeling and was painted a terrible red color (which we later found out was covering an even worse orange color). Thinking we could just power wash it off and move on (spouse’s idea…we know, low to mention here, but read on…), we instead discovered what started as a Saturday project turned into a multi-week obsession.
We rented a deck sander. We bought an orbital sander, then another, and then this sander just for the corners. We went board by board, sanding off layer after layer of old paint. The spindles were the worst. There are 90 of them, and it’s easy to remember because all were hand-sanded, twice. At one point the deck was almost completely disassembled and then reassembled. By the time the final staining was finished, over 100 hours of work were probably logged.
Rationally, this project made no sense. If we put any value on our time, we should have just replaced the deck or outsourced it. But every time we step outside, we notice how smooth the stair boards are where we spent extra time sanding because we knew a certain one-year-old would sit there. The spindles, while imperfect, could only look that way if they were hand-sanded. Every glance outside brings a little shot of pride.
We are process people. We think there are few things more beautiful than a well-thought-out strategy executed with precision. But whether it is hiring a new team member or shaping a new process, people feel pride about the things they were a part of. You can hand over a polished plan and ask others to execute, but there is something about being part of the messy middle that creates a sense of ownership. Even if all you give them is a step-by-step guide and the most annoying tool known to mankind (please buy this instead).
So next time you aren’t getting the buy-in you expected, ask yourself if you are letting others sand with you. Or if you are just handing them a finished deck and wondering why they aren’t as proud of it as you are.
And now the real reason we wrote this. Please admire these before and after pictures. Compliments accepted (and potentially helpful if you are currently negotiating pricing with us).
Until next time,
Your Spherion South Central WI & Northern IL team