Jesse Jacoby
If there is one known constant in the business world, it is change. From corporations with offices on multiple continents to start-ups with only a handful of full-time employees, today’s businesses must change and adapt to survive in the marketplace. Some organizations stumble into change and suffer significant missteps and turmoil along the way, while others seem to sail through changes, nimbly adapting to new operating models and competition in the market. This is not by accident or due to luck. Rather, those organizations who embrace change can do so because they understand how to anticipate and overcome change resistance.
For organizational leaders to successfully implement change, they must understand that most change will be met with some form of resistance. Effective leaders recognize this, and they plan for it. They even welcome it. Because when employees initially resist change, it often is a sign that they are invested in the existing process and the company, and that is a good thing. Leaders want employees who care about their work and who question changes to it. Some of the deepest change resisters can become the most passionate change advocates, when properly managed. To achieve this, we must first understand the various types of change resistance.
Types of Change Resistance
There are many reasons why employees resist change. Even the most popular and long overdue changes can be met with some resistance. Remember that not all resistance to change is easy to understand, but here are ten common underlying reasons to help you navigate through change resistance.
1 – Lack of Trust
Employees will resist change when they do not trust leadership or have little faith the company can effectively absorb the change. This type of resistance is common if leadership has broken trust or simply lacked transparency in the past. It also happens with new leadership that has not had an opportunity to build trust, despite being well liked.
2 – Fear of the Unknown
Fear of the unknown happens when there is uncertainty around how the changes will affect day-to-day life. Employees become fearful of changing because staying with the existing process seems safer. This type of resistance occurs when employees are forced to change without much warning or when they have not been given enough time to process and adjust to the changes.
3 – No Input Needed
People resist change when they feel they are not a part of it. This resistance most commonly occurs when employees are not consulted in any way about the change. In essence, employees feel they are “out of the loop” regarding the change. It’s no surprise that informed employees have higher job satisfaction levels than uninformed employees.
4 – Bonds / Connections to the “Old” Way
Employees are creatures of habit. As logical as it may seem to change things, leaders need to address the emotional bonds and connections employees have with doing things a certain way, especially if that’s the way it has always been done. This type of resistance occurs when those bonds and connections are not recognized or validated.
5 – Change to Routine
All employees have a designated comfort zone. While it is healthy to stretch outside of it on occasion, comfort zones allow employees to feel safe and secure and connected to the organization. When that is taken away, it can throw off the workplace dynamic and resistance ensues.
6 – Confusion/Misunderstanding the Need for Change
When there is no clear case for change, employees will resist. Why should they change their behavior when there is no compelling reason to do so? This type of resistance commonly occurs when employees do not understand or recognize the reasons behind the change. In other words, employees feel they are “in the dark” regarding the change.
7 – Job / Control Loss
If companies announce a change involving downsizing or restructuring, employees worry about losing control over their career path or ultimately losing their jobs. This type of resistance occurs when there is little communication or explanation around how the downsizing or restructuring will take place.
8 – Change Fatigue
If an organization has recently implemented several changes, employees may simply be “burnt out” on change. This happens when there is no master schedule for organizational changes or when leaders do not consult one another about their planned changes. Employees may feel as though changes are “coming at them from all sides” within their organization.
9 – Poor Communication
When it comes to changes, there is no such thing as too much communication. This type of resistance often occurs when the project lacks a key message platform. The messages may be conflicting or distributed piecemeal, if at all, and this leaves employees feeling confused and agitated.
10 – Predisposition for Change
Some individuals are more comfortable with change than others. It is important to recognize these tendencies within your team and also within your organizational culture. This type of resistance often happens when there is a lack of awareness around team dynamics and how employees affect one another.
When employees exhibit more than one of these reasons, resistance to change can quickly become a complex and dynamic issue. By understanding the underlying causes, leaders are more likely to be able to overcome the resistance.
If you are responsible for implementing change within your organization, consider using an enterprise change management toolkit such as Change Accelerator.
