"Resistance to change" - A phrase that should be consigned to the dustbin

There is always a reaction to change but it's a mistake to assume people are naturally resistant to it

Chris White (Mongrel Training and Consulting)

5/8/20242 min read

"People are resistant to change" is something you hear a lot – I think we should avoid that terminology – it’s lazy, it instantly treats the change process as if you’re going into battle against your employees, and creates a mindset that is dismissive of peoples’ concerns (many of which may be perfectly legitimate).

It is important to understand how human beings respond to change if you are to lead people through it though. Neuroscience has demonstrated that the brain treats social needs similarly to more base needs such as the need for food or water, so how you approach something when working with people can trigger a reward or threat response in a number of ways.

"If you want to make enemies, try and change something" is a frequently cited quote from a Woodrow Wilson speech in 1916. However, he continues by saying: "You know why it is. To do things to-day exactly the way you did them yesterday saves thinking. It does not cost you anything. You have acquired the habit; you know the routine; you do not have to plan anything, and it frightens you with a hint of exertion to learn that you will have to do it a different way tomorrow."

In modern terminology this refers to the change journey requiring us to make a shift in state from ‘unconscious competence’ (we enjoy it when we know what we are doing - we feel confident, competent and it gives us a sense of status), to one of ‘conscious incompetence’ (where maybe now we’re less sure about ourselves) before, as the process continues, we can get back to another state of ‘unconscious competence’ once more.

Other adverse reactions to change can spring from the following:

As human beings, we need a degree of certainty. Change, of course, often brings uncertainty along for the ride
Change can make people like they’ve lost control; that things are being done to them that they have no control over - a threat to their need for autonomy
Change may require a change in social structures and relationships at work
It may come at an inconvenient time, or as is more commonly the case, not enough space and time may have been given by management for people to undertake the change, expecting them to carry on with their usual day-to-day jobs plus making the changes on top, which they may well not have the bandwidth to do
If people believe the proposed change will negatively impact on them personally
Misunderstanding from not fully understanding the reasons for the change and what its consequences will be, or where the people conducting the change aren’t trusted
Where people have a different evaluations of the costs & benefits of the change
Where people lack confidence in their ability to cope with change and face uncertainty, with anxiety & apprehension resulting in them opposing changes they actually know will be beneficial
Where perhaps people have been through several failed programmes before or the amount of change just seems constant & exhausting
Where communication is difficult because of the uncertainty and incompleteness of available information
If the change is sudden, dramatic, or radical then people may initially react with shock and anger

It is important to understand these potential adverse reactions in order to be able to plan and implement any changes positively and successfully.

If we plan the change well, ensuring good communication, employee involvement & voice, support, focus, and leadership, the idea of 'resistance' will dissipate...