Resistance

10/28/20 • 12 min

Words matter. One in particular matters in organizational change: Resistance. The way the term was originally used in the sense of electrical resistances—factors that inhibit the flow of electrons, or in the case of change restraining forces that work to maintain the status quo.

But most of the time, I hear it as a label--slapped on people who haven’t jumped on the change bandwagon.

Unfortunately, that label gets in the way. It shuts down curiosity and shuts down learning. In this episode, I’ll talk about the assumptions behind using the term and the organizational costs.
The best way to deal with resistance is to avoid it in the first place. Work by attraction. Let people get their finger prints on the change.

But most of the time, I hear it as a label--slapped on people who haven’t jumped on the change bandwagon.

Previous Episode

The Fingerprint Principle

People who lead change talk about wanting others to own the change. But how? How do you get people to feel like they own something that's fully formed and rolled out? You don't. The key is to let people get their fingerprints on a change. And that's what I'll talk about in this episode.

For more ideas on how to involve people in change, check out Chapter 7, Guide, and Allow for Variation, in 7 Rules for Positive Productive Change.

Next Episode

Influence

Convincing someone to do something different isn’t easy. Especially when they’re already working long hours, and the new thing requires effort and learning. When it may not work, or isn’t directly endorsed by their boss, it gets even more difficult. But persuasion isn’t the only way to entice people to try new ideas. In this episode, I’ll explain the difference between persuasion and influence and offer eight ways to influence change.