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 and some of your employees, board members or stakeholders are fussing like a cat in a bathtub? Why do they not get it and embrace change?

I experienced it up close during the later years of my three-decade daily newspaper career. Even though the technology for delivering the news was rapidly evolving and readers were migrating to online information consumption, generational newspaper leaders and staff believed subscribers would never give up having a printed product delivered to their door. They believed it even though the internet offered the day's news faster to the reader's mobile devices.

Despite their commitment to printing presses and their long-held business models, change happened. Today, 86% of U.S. adults read the 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)

Newspaper owners worked hard to rework a business model disrupted by market forces and a generational technological evolution. They faced tough headwinds of resistance to change. After all, it's human nature to fight disruption. Change threatens our traditional norms and ways of doing things.

They are alone in their change journey. Since the start of the 21st Century, retail (e-commerce), transportation (Uber, Lyft, Tesla), banking (Venmo, crypto) and entertainment (Netflix, streaming) have been forced to navigate change.

If you have been selected to lead change in your business (or it is being forced upon you), one of the most significant challenges will be addressing resistance from within your organization. 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.