We Don't Resist Change!
Peter de Jager is a provocative Speaker, Writer and Consultant. His primary focus in on how we manage change, technology and the future.
In addition to speaking at conferences worldwide, he also writes monthly columns for CIO Magazine and Computerworld Canada.
His goal is always to question what we think is so, and in so doing perhaps open up new opportunities.
If you'd like permission to reprint any of Peter's articles, please contact him directly.
You can contact him at
pdejager@technobility.com
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"Contrary to everything we think we know about the complicated issue of change management, people do not resist
change."
Each time I make this statement, I shield myself from a storm of protest, objections and rotten fruit thrown by the audience and clients. I expect this response, because the idea,
"people resist change" is ingrained in our beliefs and in every best seller on change management. Despite the initial fierce "resistance" to an obviously bizarre idea, it takes only a few questions to drastically change people's minds.
No... I haven't already contradicted myself. To shake anyone's belief regarding "resistance to change", they need only face a glaring contradiction between their stated beliefs and their behaviour.
What are the largest, most dramatic changes which can occur in our lives, (not counting death, over which we have little control)? Most people suggest, getting married and then having children are two possible answers. Most other people agree with them. These are hugely life changing events.
If these two events, marriage and children, are indeed huge change events, and if it is also true that "people resist change", then why do most people get married and have kids - voluntarily? I've not seen too many shot gun marriages in my life time.
If it is true that we resist change, then why do we seek to advance our careers? Learn to drive a car? Learn a new language or musical instrument? Go someplace different for our next vacation? Listen to new music? All of these actions and voluntary decisions, directly and unarguably, shatter the "we resist change" myth.
We do not resist change; we do however resist being changed.
If there is a weakness in the above observation, it is that it sounds far too simplistic. The answer to all change management problems encountered in our organizations - cannot possibly be that simple. The solution to change management problems must be very complicated, involved, and especially, it must be costly. You cannot summarize it into ten little words!
Fortunately or unfortunately, take your pick, the harsh reality is we can trace all change management issues, large and small, back to this simple observation. Are the people involved, being forced to change? Or have they themselves decided a change is necessary to overcome a recognized problem? At the very least, do they have enough information to decide for themselves, that the change being forced implemented is an appropriate response to a known problem?
Here's another approach to this issue. Think back to the absolute worst change management experience you've ever lived through. There were at least two groups, possibly more, involved in your fondly remembered debacle. At least one group, possibly management, was pushing for the change. The other group, likely staff, resisted it in every way they could.
Ignore the resistors; focus only on those who were pushing for the change. Why weren't they resisting it? When I ask that question I often get a strange look and an exasperated reply, "Because! They wanted the change you fool!" which then begs the question...
why did they want the change?
If you continue this line of questioning long enough, you will inevitably arrive at the following line of reasoning. Those pushing for the change became aware of something which threatened the viability of the existing Status Quo. If they did nothing different in response to this perceived threat, the consequences would be unacceptable. As a response to this threat, they came up with a solution which they believed would solve the problem. This became the change they believed in and were trying to implement.
To bring change about, without force or resistance, we must involve as many people as possible in the above thought process. Here's another simple observation. We do not resist the change we choose to create ourselves.
If it happens that we cannot involve everyone in the decision making process, then at the very least this decision making process must be transparent to everyone. As a secondary choice, this does not work as well as direct involvement, but it succeeds far more than attempting to merely force people to change.
© 2005, Peter de Jager –
Peter is passionate about change, how it affects both individuals and
organizations and allows them to grow and prosper. To contact him, and
host internal seminars on Change Management visit www.technobility.com
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