Resistance to change is all too common in workplaces, but mishandling it can derail progress. Read on to learn how to respond effectively so your next change initiative succeeds, not stalls.
What’s Coming Up
- Reframing Resistance to Change
- Why Do People Resist Change in the Workplace?
- How Personality Influences Resistance
- Managing Resistance to Change
- Turning Resistance into Opportunity
- Embracing Resistance
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Further Reading
Reframing Resistance to Change
When you announce a change initiative, you might expect excitement. Instead, you often face skepticism, worry, or pushback. This resistance to change can be frustrating, but it’s completely normal.
Often, resistance isn’t simply people being stubborn. It’s a human reaction to uncertainty. When implementing a change management strategy, resistance can show up in many ways, such as:
- Openly questioning the need for change
- Quietly refusing to use new processes
- Working slowly or making “mistakes” with new systems
- Worrying about how the change will affect jobs
- Speaking negatively about the change to coworkers
Many leaders see resistance to change as a problem to overcome. But what if you viewed it differently?
When you reframe resistance as valuable feedback rather than opposition, you create a more helpful approach.
This change in thinking turns resistance from an obstacle into a useful tool that can improve your plans. With that mindset shift firmly in place, let’s take a look at what factors might contribute to resistance to change.
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Why Do People Resist Change in the Workplace?
Understanding the root causes of resistance to change helps you address concerns more effectively. Here are some of the main reasons people push back against new initiatives.
Individual Psychological Factors
People may have deep personal reasons for resisting change:
- Fear of the unknown: Uncertainty can make some people anxious. Our brains prefer situations we can predict.
- Loss of control: Change often means giving up familiar processes that make people feel confident and in control.
- Comfort with the status quo: Old habits require less energy than learning new ways of working.
- Lack of confidence: People worry they won’t do well with new systems and might look bad.
For example, imagine a seasoned accountant who's spent years perfecting Excel workflows suddenly facing a shift to cloud-based software. While the new system might be more efficient, it transforms their expertise into beginner status overnight – triggering multiple psychological barriers at once.
Organizational and Cultural Barriers
Your company’s culture can significantly impact resistance to change:
- Poor communication: When people don’t get enough information, rumors and worry often fill the gap.
- Conflict with values: Changes that seem to go against what the company stands for face stronger opposition.
- Lack of involvement: People are more likely to resist changes they had no part in creating.
- Change fatigue: Too many initiatives at once can wear people out.
- History of failed changes: If previous efforts flopped, people doubt new ones will succeed.
Consider a manufacturing company that announces automation without explaining how workers’ roles will change. The lack of clear communication between employees and management can create strong resistance to change if employees fear job losses.
Legitimate or Irrational Resistance?
Not all resistance to change should be dismissed – it can sometimes reveal real problems worth addressing. But not all resistance is rational or well-founded. To respond effectively, you need to understand whether you’re dealing with legitimate concerns or resistance rooted in fear, misunderstanding, or habit.
Legitimate resistance is based on valid concerns about impact, feasibility, or unintended consequences. For example, if salespeople resist a new system because it requires double the data entry with no clear benefit, that’s legitimate resistance. They’re pointing out a real flaw in the change that could hurt productivity.
Irrational resistance, on the other hand, is rooted in fear, misunderstanding, or simply wanting to maintain the status quo. When someone says, “We’ve always done it the other way,” without specific reasons why the new way is worse, that’s irrational resistance. They’re not identifying actual problems with the change – they just prefer what’s familiar because it’s comfortable.
Knowing the difference helps you address resistance to change appropriately. Legitimate concerns deserve serious consideration and may actually improve your change plan.
How Personality Influences Resistance
There are many factors that impact how people respond to change, or how and why they would resist change. One of those factors is personality type.
The 16Personalities framework groups people into four broad personality Roles: Analysts (logical and strategic), Diplomats (empathetic and value-driven), Sentinels (practical and structured), and Explorers (flexible and hands-on).
Each personality Role responds to change in different ways:
- Analysts may resist change when they don’t see the logical reasoning behind it. This resistance often manifests as questioning and challenging the rationale.
- Diplomats might resist when changes seem to conflict with important values or could harm team dynamics. Their resistance often stems from concerns about team harmony.
- Sentinels typically resist when change seems disruptive to established processes they’ve mastered. Their resistance often centers on practical implementation concerns.
- Explorers may resist changes that seem unnecessary or overly restrictive. They might question whether the change will work in real-world situations.
Knowing why people resist change can help you prepare for it. For example, let’s say you’re bringing in a new way to handle customer service. You might show Analysts data that proves it works better, comfort Diplomats by explaining how it helps people, give Sentinels clear step-by-step plans, and let Explorers try out the new system hands-on.
Want to understand your team better? See how your team’s personality makeup shapes your work in adaptive (or maladaptive) ways with our Team Assessments.
Managing Resistance to Change
To make change work, you need strategies to both prevent resistance and manage it when it inevitably arises. Many companies have successfully implemented change by using structured change management models, preparing a change tool kit, and executing a thoughtful communication plan.
With these core concepts in mind, let’s explore two key approaches: proactively preventing resistance before it starts, and effectively responding when it arises.
Proactive Management Strategies
The most effective approach to resistance is preventing it from forming in the first place. Start by identifying where and why people might resist before announcing your plans. Think about different groups, past patterns of resistance to change, and which parts of the change might create the most worry.
Next, address fears early in your change management communication plan. Be open about reasons for the change, admit potential challenges, and explain how you’ll address common concerns. Sharing success stories from similar changes can also help.
It’s essential to build trust throughout the change management process by making sure the leadership team is transparent and follows through on commitments.
Involve people in the planning of the change and allow for questions. People are more likely to support what they help create. A team leader might say, “I also worried about how this new process would affect our clients. Let’s figure out how to address that together.” When people feel safe sharing concerns without being judged, you’ll get valuable insights.
Responding to Active Resistance
Even with the best prevention efforts, resistance to change can still surface – and when it does, start with active listening. Focus fully on understanding the real concerns behind the pushback. For example, if an employee is worried about a new workflow, pause and truly listen instead of jumping in to defend the change.
Show empathy for the emotions behind the resistance. You might say, “I understand you’re concerned this change will affect your work-life balance. That’s a valid concern. Let’s talk about how we can prevent that.” This validation helps people feel heard, even if you don’t agree with all their points.
For persistent resistance, have one-on-one conversations to understand deeper concerns. Clearly explain why the change is necessary and provide extra support. Your human resource department can often provide valuable assistance with this if needed.
Turning Resistance into Opportunity
The most skilled change leaders don’t just push through resistance – they use it to improve their initiatives.
When approached thoughtfully, resistance can actually strengthen the change process. It often contains valuable insights that, if uncovered and understood, can be used to your advantage. You can gather these insights by:
- Looking for patterns in feedback across different groups
- Paying attention to specific concerns rather than general complaints
- Asking resistant team members for suggested improvements
Remember to distinguish between resistance rooted in valid concerns and resistance driven by fear, habit, or misunderstanding. One effective way to address both types is by creating inclusive decision-making processes. When employees have a voice in how changes are shaped and implemented, they’re more likely to feel heard – and less likely to resist.
Embracing Resistance
Change and resistance often go hand in hand – it’s rare to have one without the other. But when resistance is managed well, it becomes a foundation for long-term resilience.
Teams that can voice concerns, adapt their approach, and move forward in unison don’t just survive change, they grow through it. These are the teams that turn resistance into momentum, crafting smarter, more sustainable solutions that genuinely meet people’s needs.
You can lead a team like that.
Understanding the personality dynamics within your team can make a huge difference in how you approach resistance to change. Take our Team Dynamics Quiz to explore how your team functions today – or go deeper with our Team Assessments to uncover your team’s personality composition and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common signs of resistance to change in the workplace?
Common signs of resistance to change in the workplace include decreased productivity, increased complaints, arguments against the change, lack of participation in new processes, and continued use of old methods despite new directions.
What is a common cause of employee resistance to change?
Fear of the unknown is perhaps the most common cause of resistance to change. When employees can’t clearly see how a change will affect their daily work, status, or job security, anxiety can follow. This uncertainty triggers our brain’s threat response, making people instinctively resist even potentially beneficial changes.
What are two factors that contribute to resistance to change?
Poor communication and lack of involvement are two major factors that increase resistance to change. When employees don’t understand why a change is happening or how it benefits them, they’re more likely to resist. Similarly, when people have no input in planning a change that affects them, they feel powerless and are more inclined to push back against decisions made without their perspective.
Can resistance to change ever be beneficial?
Yes, resistance to change can be beneficial when it highlights legitimate issues with the proposed change. It can lead to improved plans, identify overlooked consequences, and ensure thorough testing of ideas before full rollout.