How to Overcome Resistance to Organizational Change
Last Updated November 22, 2021
For businesses to stay vital and relevant over time, they need to be prepared to meet the challenges of constant change in the marketplace. A thoughtful and strategic approach to change management can set an organization up to not just weather the winds of change, but to thrive, grow and even lead change within an industry.
However, employee resistance to change – whether it shows up as diminished engagement, decreased productivity, resignations, or just out-and-out hostile attitudes – can throw substantial roadblocks in the way of successful organizational change.
Why is there such a resistance to change and what are its sources? There can be a lot of reasons. In order to implement a smooth change management process in your organization, you’ll need to understand the reasons for employee resistance and take the needed actions to overcome this resistance, turning your employees from change resistors to positive change agents.
Reasons for Resistance to Change
Many people perceive change as a loss of something they valued. If an organization’s culture and structure are evolving, employees may fear losing their status, role or even their team members.
Because of their fear of change, some employees do not want to give up a work activity they are competent doing. The prospect of change may make them feel incompetent within the new process and vulnerable, explains Samuel Bacharach, co-founder of Bacharach Leadership Group and contributor at Inc.com.
In a lecture on leading strategic change, Dr. Cynthia Devers, former Associate Professor in MSU’s Eli Broad College of Business and now Professor in Texas A&M’s Mays School of Business, states that people may prefer to be competent even when doing the wrong things rather than be incompetent when doing the right things. That fear is one of the biggest barriers to organizational change.
Some may distrust the motives behind the change or even the change agent, whose motives may be believed to be of personal benefit and not a benefit to the organization. Still others may not recognize the value of the change or see a need for it.
4 Steps for Overcoming Resistance to Change
Several key methods can be employed to reduce employee resistance to change and engage employees as allies in making change happen for their organization. Steps of action to take can include:
1. Put Effective Change Agents in Place
One is to use change agents whose characteristics are similar those targets of change.
“If you use change agents that have characteristics that are similar to those individuals who you are trying to get to change, often times they are going to be more well-received than if they are very different,” Dr. Devers states.
For example, if you’re trying to effect change in a union environment, change agents who have been in involved in organized labor and can relate to the culture and circumstances are very helpful.
Beyond a familiarity with the organization, department, employees or work structure that is undergoing change, qualities of effective change agents include flexibility, workability with others and accountability in owning and guiding their part of the change process.
2. Dedicate the Needed Resources
The implementation of your organizational change management process will be less than successful if you fail to dedicate sufficient resources to see it through. Recognize what is needed to execute the change management strategy before you start the implementation process.
Will additional financial resources need to be allocated? Be sure this is in the department or overall organization budget. Will the new processes or systems require needed training? Most likely the answer is yes, so be sure you’ve allocated both time and resources to create and conduct the trainings. Will the new processes, systems, trainings and change implementations require additional staff support or even the need for a dedicated staff member (i.e., a project manager)? Be sure your current staffing and future hiring can support the organizational change you have envisioned.
Not investing in what it takes for successful change makes it too easy for people to resist change.
3. Demonstrate Your Commitment to Change
Many organizational leaders find it effective to announce the change strategy with a “kick-off” event or meeting. One option is to use dramatic ceremonies and symbols to signal disengagement from the past. Organizations do everything from burning policy manuals to tearing down buildings and putting up new ones to demonstrate leaving the past and moving toward the future. This is best when supported by widespread communication about the change and ensuring that people understand its rationale.
The best way an organization can demonstrate a commitment to change is to clearly communicate the change purpose, plan and process to the employees. Understanding the “why” behind the change and how it will be implemented are critical for employees to buy-in to and execute on the change strategy.
Employees can become upset if they perceive a lack of communication and respect from their supervisors, union representatives or co-workers, and may feel they have no opportunity to meaningfully participate in the decision-making. Avoid a communication “black hole” by ensuring good two-way communications are taking place.
Transparency in change management is key, so broadly communicate information about the change, make sure employees understand it and provide opportunities for participation in the change process so everyone’s voice can be heard.
4. Engage Employees in the Change Process
When people understand the change, they’re more likely to get behind it and participate in the implementation of the change process. Therefore, it’s critical to involve those being affected by the change.
No one wants to feel as if this change is happening to them. This can feel like a loss of agency and control. But if your people feel involved in planning for the change, are invited to participate and have a voice in the process, they’re much more likely to commit to the changes and engage others to do the same.
At the same time, it’s critical to get buy-in for organizational change from the people in positions of leadership—not only the executive leadership of the organization but also leaders at the department and team levels. They can be the influencers of change, particularly among those within their teams or departments who may be resistant to the change process.
At the same time, you need to listen to those who feel they are losing something in the change and giving up part of their past.
“Sometimes you just need to let people take a piece of the past with them,” says Dr. Devers. “You can’t close the door completely on the past, particularly if you’ve got a very strong culture that people are wedded to.”
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