Major changes, resistance to change

In today's economy, change is all-pervasive in organizations. It happens continuously, and often at rapid
speed. Because change has become an everyday part of organizational dynamics, employees who resist
change can actually cripple an organization.

Resistance is an inevitable response to any major change. Individuals naturally rush to defend the status
quo if they feel their security or status are threatened.
No matter whether a change is of major proportions or is objectively rather small, the change manager
must anticipate that people in the organization are going to find reasons to resist changes. It is a basic
tenet of human behaviour that Any belief or value that has been previously successful in meeting needs
will resist change. This applies even if there are better more successful alternatives to meet those needs.
Resistance to change takes many forms. The more obvious forms consist of active resistance, where
people will object, or refuse to cooperate with the change. Other, more subtle forms of resistance,
however, are more difficult to deal with. Some examples of "resistive symptoms" include:
1. At a staff meeting everyone agrees to utilize a new procedure, but several weeks later you discover that
the procedure has not been implemented.
2. New computers are introduced into the workplace. While all staff insisted that they have their own
machines, virtually nobody is using them for the purpose for which they were intended.
3. A change in job responsibilities takes place for an employee. The employee consents to the change by
saying: "You're the boss, and if that's what you want..." Later the employee only changes what he is doing
enough to appear cooperative, but is in fact doing most things the way he was before the change.
It is very important that the change manager anticipate, and plan strategies for dealing with resistance.
This applies not only at the introduction of the change, but there must be follow-through, so that the
change manager monitors the change over the long-term, being alert for difficulties as the appear.
It is helpful to have an understanding of why people resist change, because understanding this allows us
to plan strategies to reduce resistance from the beginning. Also, some of the reasons that people resist
change do not seem to make sense to the casual observer. At times they can seem nonsensical and
illogical. They are, nonetheless, important.
SOME REASONS WHY PEOPLE RESENT OR RESIST CHANGE:1
1. One major reason why people resist change is the potential for loss on a personal level. Note that
objectively there may be little threat, but people may act as if there is one.
Resistance to change
A degree of resistance is normal since change is:
Disruptive and Stressful
Moreover a degree of scepticism can be healthy especially where there are weaknesses in the proposed
changes
However resistance will also impede the achievement of organisational objectives
Four basic reasons why change is resisted
Kotter and Schlesinger identified basic causes of resistance to change:
(1)Parochial self interest
Individuals are more concerned with the implications for themselves
(2)Misunderstanding
Communications problems
Inadequate information
(3)Low tolerance of change
Sense of insecurity (the fear that one will not be able to develop new skills and behaviors that are required
in a new work setting)
Different assessment of the situation
(4) Disagreement over the need for change
Disagreement over the advantages and disadvantages
Some negative comments often received on proposed changes:
"My needs are already being met"
"There is no justification for change"
"I dont like the way they propose to do it"
"The risks outweigh the benefits"
"It will now be harder for me to meet my own needs"
Organisational barriers to change
Structural inertia
Existing power structures
Resistance from work groups
Failure of previous change initiatives
Individual barriers to change
Tradition and set ways:,Loyalty to existing relationships,Failure to accept the need for
change,Insecurity,Preference for the existing arrangements,Break up of work groups,Different person
ambitions,Fear of: Loss of power,Loss of skills,Loss of income,The unknown,Redundancy,Inability to
perform as well in the new situation
Inappropriate change management
-Change is often resisted because of failures in the way it is introduced,-Failure to explain the need for
change,-Failure to provide information,-Failure to consult, negotiate and offer support and training
-Lack of involvement in the process,-Failure to build trust and sense of security,-Poor employee relations
Why change should be welcomed
-Change can produce positive benefits for the individual:-Opportunities for personal change and
development-Provides a new challenge-Reduces the boredom of work-Opportunity to participate and
shape the outcome
Symptoms are the specific behaviors individuals exhibit when they are resistant to change.
It is important to distinguish between the symptoms of resistance to change, and the causes behind it.
These behaviors fall into two categories -- active-resistance or passive-resistance. Symptoms of active-
resistance include finding fault, ridiculing, appealing to fear, and manipulating. Passive-resistance
symptoms include agreeing verbally but not following through, feigning ignorance and withholding
information.

Employees resist change because they have to learn something new. In many case there is not a
disagreement with the benefits of the new process, but rather a fear of the unknown future and about their
ability to adapt to it. Most people are reluctant to leave the familiar behind. We are all suspicious about
the unfamiliar; we are naturally concerned about how we will get from the old to the new, especially if it
involves learning something new and risking failure.

Strategies to overcome the resistance:

There are essentially three ways to get people to do things:
-You force them by threat of negative consequences if they do not comply;
-You give them something in exchange for their compliance;
-They do it because they believe in you and/or the proposed course of action.

Willing participation is the only real way to make change happen. This involves engaging peoples hearts
as well as their minds. You will need to:
-Communicate effectively. Be clear about the reason for the change and the anticipated outcomes; be
passionate and inspirational;
-Involve people in the change process. Actively listen to them and be prepared to incorporate their ideas
and suggestions;
-Remove excuses. Purge unnecessary activities to provide the time and energy;
-Utilise peer pressure. Seek out role models and ambassadors and use them to influence the masses;
-Remove uncertainty and threat. Tell the truth and as much of it as possible; in the absence of
information, people always assume the worst;
-Train people in new skills and behaviours. Be patient, give them encouragement and forgive their
mistakes;
-Give people emotional support. Be empathetic, offer them a shoulder to cry on and time to come to
terms with the change.

All this takes time, so create momentum by starting with a few quick and easy steps. A long list of
activities can be overwhelming and a sense of being overwhelmed stops action.