Why should we care about resistance when leading change? Well, it can impact the success of the change project (the benefits are unrealised), impact work results related to ongoing business, cause absenteeism and presenteeism, impact talent retention, and create an unpleasant work environment that hinders innovation and affects people’s wellbeing.
Sounds like a thing we shouldn’t ignore, right?
And we already know that whenever we try to change something, it is almost certain that we will come across resistance. Sometimes it’s even our own.
So, how do we deal with resistance to overcome it and keep moving forward with the change?
I am not a psychologist and although I am undertaking studies in change management, I wouldn’t call myself a world-renowned expert on the topic. So, to answer this question, I asked myself what I would want people leading me to do and say and how I would expect them to behave to help me overcome my resistance.
I am a Type O which means change is not usually a big deal for me. So, I took things a step further and thought about my friends and colleagues that would have more resistance and about what they would likely need and expect.
The secret sauce
You know what the secret sauce is? It’s just a few things.
You have to actually care, behave in that way, be ready to do the hard work and know that these things take time.
That’s it.
I know this may sound like I am simplifying a complex matter. However, I really feel that these are the basics you need to accept in your own mind and then incorporate into your planning, before you start drafting change communication and organising staff meetings.
And, don’t worry, you can do this even if you’re not good at ‘reading people’ and picking up on ‘social cues’. I’ll show you how.
Care factor above zero
When you research tips for overcoming resistance, you will read things like this:
Include people in decision-making or seek their feedback to increase buy-in.
Communicate often to keep people informed about what is going on and what will happen so that the uncertainty is reduced (uncertainty being a major cause of resistance).
Promote the benefits of the change.
That is all good advice. Nothing wrong with it. I even have stuff like this on my own blog.
However, if you are not genuine about it, it won’t work in the long run.
You will be much more successful at overcoming resistance if you actually care about people’s concerns. That’s just the cold hard truth.
It may not be politically correct to say this, but some leaders are more concerned about implementing the change on time and as planned than about people’s feelings. These leaders are not necessarily mean, they just have different values. And some of them are just not natural ‘people readers’. For example, they may not be good at picking up on social cues, being empathetic or understanding the consequences of their actions.
My fellow ‘people persons’ (‘people people’) and I don’t have an issue with this. We are naturally concerned about how our actions affect others and know how to navigate this in line with our people-focussed values. Our problem is caring to the point of ineffectiveness and being overdemocratic. If this is you, skip to the next tip about not being a pushover. For now, let’s focus on the other guys.
If you’re more about ration than feelings, I invite you to realise that taking an interest in people’s concerns by trying to understand and address them is a good use of your time. It will make the change more sustainable in the long run.
Most people appreciate leaders who are genuine. If you’re not good at reading people, just say: “I’m not good at this stuff but I want to understand - tell me what you’re worried about”. You will be amazed at how positively people will respond.
Don’t worry about being vulnerable, losing your power, etc. Make authenticity your power. (Mic drop!)
And if you’re good at picking up on people’s feelings but only use that gift in a shallow manner (to figure out the quickest way to get from A to B, regardless of the side effects), realise that you may be manipulating people into compliance. Now that doesn’t sound very nice, does it? Use your talent to persuade not manipulate.
Show you care by being honest and respectful. No need to be a pushover nor a manipulator.
Participation doesn’t mean that you have to adjust everything to address all concerns. But you do need to treat people like adults by being open and honest with them.
For example, asking for input is engaging. However, if you decide not to act on it and keep people in the dark about why, it can be counterproductive. Show them respect by closing the loop and explaining why you went the other way.
Yes, this can be annoying, takes time and may seem ineffective at first. However, it will pay off in the long run as you will be building trust in a genuine and respectful way. Don’t behave like a bull in a china shop.
On the other hand, to the people pleasers out there, you will need to reel things in by being clear on the scope and time limits for the input and feedback. In the real word, we don’t have an unlimited amount of time for participation and not everyone will get a say on everything. We need to strike a healthy balance for the change process to be successful.
And similar to the advice above, people pleasers need to realise that you can’t take up every suggestion. Just be clear, firm and honest about why and why not. You can do it, I know you can.
Understand that this will take time and effort. And some prework.
When people are resisting change, they are worried about uncertainty, lack of control, whether they have the right skills for the ‘new order’. If there have been other recent changes, they are likely feeling overwhelmed, confused and change fatigued.
These are not things you can solve with a cleverly crafted email communicating the benefits of the change. They take time and effort.
Even more importantly, quite a bit of prework is required. In my mind, the ‘quickest’ way to overcome resistance is through trust. People are more likely to listen to someone they trust and they will trust someone they know, respect and like.
However, building trust through positive relationships is not quick and easy, although its well worth the investment. Check out my post on influencing without direct authority for tips on where to start.
Another thing to consider and that can help build (or hinder) trust is corporate culture. Frankly, unless you are nurturing a supportive, respectful and inclusive culture, your persuasion efforts may come across as fake. Build those positive foundations.
Overcoming your own resistance to change?
If you are reading this post wondering where’s the part about dealing with your own resistance, here it (finally) is.
My best tip for coping with unwelcome change is to focus on what you can control. Check out the post on my war story for more details.
Any thoughts?
Have you had success in overcoming resistance to change? What worked for you? Contact me and share your tips.
Thanks for your time.