Understanding Resistance to Change

What's that old saying about staying viable in a business or organization? Change or die?

What happens, though, if you are trying to lead change in your organization, and some of your employees, board members or stakeholders would rather see everything perish than do something different? Why do they not get it and jump on board to change?

I saw that firsthand when working for 30 years in the daily newspaper business. Even though the technology for delivering the news was rapidly changing, generational newspaper leaders and staff believed readers would never give up having a printed product delivered to their door. Meanwhile, as the internet delivered the day's news faster to the reader's mobile devices, the printed product lost relevancy.

Today, 86% of U.S. adults say they get news at least sometimes from smartphones, computers or tablets, and 57% do so often. Meanwhile, only 26% of Americans say they get news from print newspapers often or sometimes, with less than 10% saying they read newspapers regularly. (Gallup)

Resistance is always present in a change effort, arising from threats to traditional norms and ways of doing things. 

If you have been selected to lead change in your business (or it is being forced upon you), the most significant challenge will be resistance. Before figuring out how to navigate through it, you need to understand why resistance is such a major obstacle:

1. Fear of the Unknown

• Losing control.
• New roles or skills are required.
• Job security is being threatened.

2. Loss of Comfort / Habits

• Established routines create a sense of efficiency and safety.
• Change forces people out of their "comfort zones," disrupting familiar systems and workflows.

3. Cost and Resource Constraints

• Change can be expensive in terms of time, money, and manpower.
• Businesses may resist due to budget limitations or fear of poor return on investment.

4. Cultural Inertia

• Long-standing organizational culture can clash with new initiatives.
• “This is how we’ve always done it,” thinking leads to active or passive resistance.

5. Poor Change Management

• Lack of clear communication, leadership, or planning can doom even smart changes.
• If people don’t understand the “why,” they’re less likely to commit to the “how.”

6. Perceived Threat to Power or Status

• Change can shift power dynamics, threatening managers or departments who benefit from the current structure.

7. Bad Past Experiences

• Previous change efforts that failed or caused disruption create skepticism.
• “Change fatigue” sets in when too many changes happen without clear benefits.

8. Lack of Skills or Confidence

• Employees may resist if they don’t believe they can succeed in a new environment.
• Upskilling requires time, training, and support that may be lacking.

Artful leaders discern the source of resistance. They avoid knee-jerk reactions and understand the agendas of those prone to resisting change. Leaders who successfully manage change acknowledge those who don't want to follow the agenda or don't understand why change is necessary.

The more leaders focus on increasing the capacity for change, the more effectively they can implement change. It is within your control if you understand their reasons for resistance.

If you have been recently hired or given a new role as a change agent and seek consultation or coaching, let's have a conversation.