Change Resistance: “Change? No,

Not in My Backyard!”

Contributed by Ron Leeman on January 14, 2015 in Organization, Change, & HR

Another much written about and discussed

subject is change resistance, so here is my

take on the subject.

Let me start by saying that life is all about

change. From a personal perspective, we

change continuously from the day we are

born to the day we die. While some of these

changes happen as a matter of course, some

of them don’t. In fact, we often instigate

changes in ourselves and in our lives. We

change our looks, we change our hairstyles,

we wear different clothes, we change our jobs, our cars, and where we live. We change who

we hang out with, we change political allegiances, we change our minds about things…

change, change, and yet more change. Why is it that we can make these personal changes

without any problem, yet when it comes to changes in the workplace we tend to resist them?

The reason is that our personal changes result from our own decisions. Our workplace

changes result from someone telling us that we have to change and we have little choice, so

we instinctively resist.

OK, that’s the opener done with–let’s start with a few “nuggets” I managed to find doing a

bit of “quick and dirty” Google searches about change resistance.

From a Harvard Business Review blog called “ Ten Reasons People Resist

Change :”

Loss of control

Excess uncertainty.

Surprise, surprise

Everything seems different

Loss of face

Concerns about competence

More work

Ripple effects

Past resentments

Sometimes the threat is real

From a Management is a Journey article called “ Organizational Change: 8

Reasons Why People Resist Change :”

Loss of status or job security in the organization

Non-reinforcing reward systems

Surprise and fear of the unknown

Peer pressure

Climate of mistrust

Organizational politics

Fear of failure

Lack of tact or poor timing

From a Change Designs article called “ Why People Resist Change :”

They don’t see the benefits

The benefits are not worth it

They don’t believe the benefits will be achieved

The change will hurt them

They don’t see how this change is going to work

They feel afraid

They don’t know what is expected of them

They don’t trust you

They don’t feel valued

They don’t see it as a priority

And finally, from Psychology Today in an article called “ Are You Resisting

Change? ” a simple to reflect on whether your response to change has gone well

beyond the natural reaction to learning something new into the destructive

zone:

I silently disagree with the proposed change but I don’t voice my concerns

I spend more time thinking about why the change is a bad idea than a good one

I question why the change is necessary, even after the rationale has been explained

I share my concerns and dislike of the change with my peers

I am less productive as I spend time talking about the change

I procrastinate and only comply with the change when someone follows up

I share information to try to discredit the change or the person leading it

I ignore requests to change my behavior and continue on as normal

I use my influence to try to get decisions reversed after they have been made

I encourage others to ignore the change directives

Some great insights to change resistance, but I really like the above questions.

As well as the above, I kind of covered a number of things to try and prevent resistance in

my article called The 4 Ion’s of Change , but I will go a little further in this article.

The status quo gives individuals within an organisation a sense of security. Within reason,

people will cling to what they know and understand, because change brings uncertainty, fear

and anxiety. Attitudes “it may be a dump, but its home” are real attitudes.

The fact is that change is inevitable, and its effects on individuals well researched and

documented. Individual’s feelings and attitudes are critical to the successful or unsuccessful

implementation of change. Knowing how to overcome the natural resistance to change you

and your team are able you to implement changes more effectively, minimise the negative

effects of change on performance, and optimise your own and your team’s chances of

success in a difficult time.

The implications for individuals and the organisation of not managing change effectively

range from having an unwilling and resistant team through to the organisations inability to

adapt and respond to new market conditions.

The effects of change can be traumatic. As the familiar landscape disappears people

increasingly feel a sense of threat. Reactions typically include:

Fatigue.

Resentment.

Inability to Concentrate.

It is essential for Change Managers to understand the impact of change on individual

performance.

But why do people resist change?

Employees place a high value on security. Considerations of efficiency and security may well

seem to conflict and where people feel threatened by a change i.e. it makes them feel

insecure – they are likely to try and defend their interests and to resist, or attempt to modify,

its perceived impact on them.

What is sometimes viewed as unnecessary increased working hours, over manning,

inefficient processes, time wasting, inflexibility and restrictive practices may be perceived by

employees as essential means of protecting their earnings levels and their jobs, as well as

being culturally significant in providing individuals and groups with a sense of status,

involvement and identity. When an attempt is made to change any of these practices it may

provoke very profound feelings of insecurity and violate cultural beliefs and customs of very

great significance to the people concerned.

Certain individuals may be pre-disposed to resist change more than others. Psychologists

may relate this to personality factors, produced by a person’s experience during their

lifetime. Those with a background of insecurity in childhood, for example, may have

particular fears of a proposed change without apparent objective justification. On many

occasions, however, resistance to change is based on a rational and realistic assessment of

the implications the change could have on for different individuals and groups; and it

should not be seen by those seeking to introduce the change as merely blind, instinctive

intransigence, or a product of human nature. Specifically, employees will be concerned

about the effect of proposed changes on their long-term future with the organisation, their

jobs, their pay and their relationships with other colleagues.

Employees’ first reactions to proposed changes will probably be “am I likely to be out of a

job as a result of this change?” There may be considerable suspicion of managements’

motives in introducing the changes: is it a backdoor way to shed resources? Loss of a job is a

very serious, often traumatic, prospect for employees, because it means a loss of social

status as well as earnings. Employees may also be concerned about the effects of change on

promotion opportunities and their career structure.

There may be concern that proposed changes threaten status e.g. reducing the opportunities

for key employees to make their own decisions about how to go about their tasks,

particularly where changes in working practices are prescribed by experts. They may feel

that the ‘improvements’ proposed imply a criticism of the way they have been doing their

job in the past and hence of their effectiveness. They may be apprehensive about having to

learn new ways of working, or even having to train for a new job altogether. The fear of

failure in learning new skills is a very real one for it means a loss of face as well as greater

overall insecurity. Employees may, therefore, ask themselves:

How effective will I be in the new situation?

What new standards will I have to meet?

Will the job be more or less interesting than it was?

Will I have to do more work?

Will I have to work harder?

Will I be able to cope?

The impact of change on remuneration/pay is likely to be a matter of immediate concern–

will earnings be lost as a result? Some incentive plans are very complex and workers find it

hard to calculate their likely gains and losses. There may also be concern about stability or

earnings, in the short term, particularly where training for new tasks or processes is

involved. In the longer term, employees who feel skills are being eroded may be concerned

about their future value on the employment market.

Of course, the employment contract is one which involves a pay/effort bargain and

employees will evaluate the effects of changes on this equation:

Will more effort be required?

If so, are the rewards good enough to compensate?

Rewards notwithstanding, is the new effort requirement acceptable?

Relationships with others – friends, colleagues, superiors and subordinates can be

important in determining how employees feel about their jobs. Responsibilities, loyalties,

understandings and affections develop between individuals and groups over time and give

them a sense of belonging and identity. When existing relationships are threatened and

employees are faced with the prospect of having to establish new ones, a sense of insecurity

and unhappiness may serve to provoke resistance. Employees faced with changes in the

structure of their working groups may ask themselves:

Will I have to work with a new group of people?

If so, will I get on with them?

What will my status be in their eyes?

How much contact will I have with my present work colleagues?

Am I being singled out in any way?

Is this discrimination or favouritism?

Will I be working for a new line manager?

How will they differ from my present one?

Will they treat me fairly?

Will they allow me the freedom I had before?

Preceding events can influence attitudes towards a proposed change. Employees will view it

in the context of an organisations past policies, practices and attitudes; the characteristics of

its management – particularly the extent to which they have proved trustworthy in the past

when they have carried out changes – and employees experiences of the after effects of

previous changes of a similar kind. Current and historical, national or regional factors may

also influence reactions, particularly the opportunities for alternative employment on the

traditional employment market. In other words, past events are often seen as precedents for

future occurrences and employees’ expectations of future changes will be heavily influenced

by past experiences. Where there is low trust between management and employees, the

prospects for introducing change smoothly are jeopardised.

The process of effecting a change often involves an increase in the number of orders given to

subordinates, as well as the involvement of specialists in day-to-day work. These processes

may well be resented, particularly by employees who pride themselves on their knowledge

of their job and value the freedom to make their own decisions. Resentment may be

particularly acute if orders appear to be arbitrary and unilateral. This may occur because

people have not been given enough information about the objectives, nature and effects of

the proposed change so that they cannot see the point of the measures being introduced and

of what they are being told to do. In general, insufficient information and consultation about

the change and its probable effects and implications may cause people to become

concerned. Imagination, hopes and fears, supported by rumour, can increase anxiety.

Consulting people about change gives them the opportunity to put their point of view, ask

questions and seek reassurances. It also shows consideration for them as individuals, rather

than as a group.

If a change is presented as irreversible and irrevocable it is likely to generate suspicion and

fear and the timing of a change must be considered. People need time to adjust their

thinking to new conditions and they are likely to feel bewildered if change is rushed

through.

When resistance to change exists, it is not so much the change itself that is opposed. Rather

the primary causes of resistance to change are both the imagined and real effects on those

involved, together with the manner in which the change is introduced. The key problem in

making a change is how to minimise resistance from those involved. The aim should be to

reduce resistance rather than attempt to overcome e.g. by threats, sanctions and other

forms of coercion, which may only serve to reinforce opposition.

About Ron Leeman

Ron Leeman has been involved in “change and process” work for more years than he cares to

remember. He has worked extensively across the UK, Europe, and globally--and has an enviable track-

record of delivering organisational change and process initiatives across a wide cross section of industry

sectors. In 2012, Ron was bestowed with a “Change Leader of Tomorrow” award by the World HRD

Congress “in recognition of my remarkable progress in initiating changes enough for others in the same

industry to follow my example”. Ron is firm believer in knowledge transfer and now wants to share his

vast knowledge with those who are considering getting into or at various stages of “change” and/or

“process” work or those working on specific Projects wanting to gain practical insights into “how to” type

situations. You can connect with Ron Leeman on LinkedIn here , where you can view his 85+

Recommendations and in excess of 800 Endorsements from clients and co-workers alike to give you an

indication of the quality of service that he has provided and can offer. Ron is also a document author on

Flevy. Browse his frameworks on Change Management, Process Analysis, and Program Management

here: http://flevy.com/seller/highwayofchange .

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