No matter how it is expressed in your own organization, we can tell you for sure, resistance will occur. It can be out in the open (overt) or deep down in the hidden corners of the organization (covert), but trust us…it is there.
“De Personalize” the Resistance – Do not take resistance to a change personally. It is not about YOU.
Surface Resistance Early – Start looking for resistance to a change as soon as the project begins. Use tactics such as focus groups, social media, team meetings and hot lines to begin surfacing resistance as early as possible.
Communicate – Every communication sent during any implementation must include a feedback loop in order to allow individuals to express their thoughts and feelings about the change. This is a great way for Change Agents to gather information about potential sources of resistance.
Use Involvement Techniques – It may not be appropriate to involve people in deciding what to change, but you can almost always get them involved in how to implement it in their daily work. TIP: Take your most vocal non-supporters and put them on the project team! It’s the perfect way to keep an eye on them and involve them in creating a solution for their issues.
Make Surfacing Resistance Safe - When you are looking to bring covert resistance out in the open, don’t punish individuals for expressing their resistance.
Invest in Readiness – Readiness and Resistance are two sides of the same coin. If you invest in readiness by giving Targets information, motivation, ability and confidence you will see less resistance while the change takes place.
Prepare for Resistance to Come Back – Even if you successfully manage resistance once, trust us it will come back. Managing resistance is definitely not a one time, check the box that you are done event. As a project evolves, so does the resistance to it which is why managing resistance must be an ongoing activity throughout a project’s life cycle.
When it comes to resistance to change the question should not be whether you will or will not have it, but rather how much will there be and what strategies will you use to manage it. Using these eight tactics to manage the resistance to change you face will allow your implementation to move ahead at speed.