Surprise! Resistance to change is a good thing!
It’s hard to say and even harder to believe, but it’s true. Resistance to change is a good thing.
Sure, you’d prefer to have people who understand the change and are genuinely supportive. You’d take the quiet folks who support change without saying so. You’d even take the cheerleaders who know little about the change yet remain gung-ho.
But the resisters? You want them?
Absolutely. They’re emotionally invested. They’re interested. They care enough to take a stand. Those are all good things.
Many people resist change because they feel they stand to lose once the change goes through. It’s possible they’re right. As long as they see the change process as a personal net negative, they’ll push back.
Other people resist change because they feel left out of the loop. They’re always the last to get crucial information, if they get it at all. They’re not going to support what they don’t understand, and who blames them?
Others want to shape the change, but they’re kept on the sidelines while change is done to them instead of with them. The result is guaranteed: resistance.
Still others understand the change, but they believe it will hurt their work area, department, or overall organization. These people have thought things through and come to some strongly held conclusions. Who knows, they might be the one person in 100 who sees something of vital importance.
If you’re a determined change agent who wants things to happen yesterday, you’re probably frustrated with the resisters in your midst. It’s tempting to push forward and leave those folks in the dust.
Problem is, when the dust settles, they’ll still be there — and their resistance will have hardened into cynicism, apathy, and worse.
A far better approach is to reframe your view of resistance. See it as an opportunity for engagement.
Instead of avoiding your change-resisting colleagues, spend more time with them. Ask more questions. Listen closely. Try to understand their perspectives. Don’t try to sell them or bribe them to win short-term support. Rather, uncover their underlying concerns, and address those concerns as best you can.
Some people will still resist. But some of the skeptics will become genuine supporters and even partners in the change. They’ll bring all that extra brainpower and the emotional fuel to go with it. And their actions will influence some of their friends who are still holding back.
Okay, so maybe it’s incomplete to say that resistance to change is a good thing. It’s a good thing ultimately — if you do the hard work of listening, understanding, and adjusting.
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When we talk of the high skill manager, we actually refer to those managers that are managing the organization in any critical situation. Resistance to change is mostly seen to those organization that one old rule is being implemented all the time and that organization has need witnessed any changes over the course of time. I think it depends on the quality of manager to manage the situation and get control of any particular issue, or at least convince the team that the change he is going to bring to the organization is best for them.
Conventionally, people who resist/ask questions are often viewed as nay-sayers or worse–road blocks, barriers, saboters. When viewed from the positive, these folks are often most interested in quality and therefore critical to any effort. Thanks for the great article, Tom.
Tom – loved the article. Could relate to the same. I am usually extremely reluctant to accept change and detest it when it is pushed down my throat – both on the personal and professional front. However, once convinced I become its strongest advocate and passionate and emotional people do get more supporters to embrace the same
Having worked for 35 years in Prisons and offender supervision after their release from jail or prison I have seen a great deal of change in our state and our agency. Much is tied to the whimsy of the world of politics where our voice is limited. Fighting the tendency to be cynical and true to your beliefs requires persistence. Opportunities do arise and open the door to discussion and change is influenced. We need patience to go along with our belief, and to remain alert to that sort of oportunity. I have seen many very strong opponents help us build better programs and services in this public safety agency. Great article!