Common Reactions to Change
Change is the one thing we can count on, it is all around us. Our reactions will vary based on what is changing and how we are affected by it. In some cases, we support the change and are happy about it and in others, we may not care that much. There are some changes that we actively resist. In today’s blog, I want to talk more about how to deal with the different reactions to change.
When you find people that support a change, the best thing to do is to involve them as spokespeople or advocates. Change supporters can often influence others who may be apathetic and even some who resist the change. Change advocates can serve as great local communicators about the benefits of the change and when they are trusted by their colleagues, will often be able to gather information about resistance so local concerns can be more effectively addressed.
In many cases, you will find a group of people who are apathetic about the change. If these individuals won’t be affected much by the change, there isn’t a lot of work to be done beyond providing high level, general information. In cases where they will be impacted, it is a good idea to help them understand more about the change and how it will affect them. An emphasis on the benefits of the change and the effort that is underway to minimize negative effects will be very helpful.
Many years ago, I read a book that influenced how I think about change resistance, Beyond the Wall of Change Resistance by Rick Maurer. One of the ideas he talks about in the book is classifying change resistance into three categories:
People who resist because they don’t understand the change, “I don’t get it” resistance.
Those who resist because they don’t like the change, “I don’t like it” resistance
People who resist because they don’t like where the message is coming from, “I don’t like you” resistance.
Dealing with “I don’t get it resistance” is fairly easy - learn what they don’t understand and provide the information they need. This will often eliminate the resistance. The second form of resistance is a bit more challenging. For “I don’t like it” resistance, take the time to understand their concerns about the change and look for ways to address them. “I don’t like you” resistance indicates a lack of trust. If you run into this, the best course of action is to involve someone that that person trusts to discuss & address their concerns. Because change resistance is such a rich topic, I encourage you to explore more.