Helping People Adapt & Resistance to Change

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Helping People Adapt Resistance to Change
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RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
The Background I
General Sense of Loss
Change although evangelized good by
theoreticians, it can create feelings
Loss of Security
Loss of Power
Loss of Prestige
Anger
Loss of Respect
Breaking of the employee company psychological
contract
Anxiety
Loss of Status Quo
Loss of Approval
Loss of Power
People React to change as they react during the
grieving process after the loss of a loved one.
Loss of Control
Loss of Certainty
5 Stages (Kubler-Ross, 1969)
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
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RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
The Background II
The 4 stages Harvard Model

• The Progress from stage to stage is linear must
  not be accelerated unless with ultimate caution.
• Peoples change adaptation speed varies.
• People might get stuck in one of stages 1)Change
  is rather chaotic 2)People perceive change
  according to their own individual experiences.
• Change hits from more than one directions

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RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
The Reasons
4 Common Reasons of resistance (Bedeian, 1980)
Parochial Self-Interest

• Effort to protect Status Quo
• Unwillingness to move out of Comfort Zone
• Personal Stake in Knowledge Skills

Misunderstanding Luck of Trust

• Not understand the reasoning of change
• Incomplete and Incorrect information
• Increase of defensiveness

Contradictory Assessment

• Cost Benefit evaluation of change
• Different Perceptions
• Contradictory assessments due to lack of
  information

Low Tolerance of Change

• People differ in their ability to handle change.
  
• Self-Doubt and Questioning / Low Tolerance for
  ambiguity

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RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
Kotter Schlesinger, 1979
The Way to Overcome it
6 Steps to manage resistance
1 Education Commitment

• Share perceptions, knowledge objectives with
  the stakeholders Variety of ways for
  information sharing

2 Participation Involvement

• Involve resisters in Planning
  ImplementationReduces Resistance Strengthens
  commitment

3 Facilitation Support

• Counseling and TherapyOvercome Fears Anxiety
  Develop peoples awareness

4 Negotiation Agreement

• Mutually agreeable compromise, through trading
  and exchangeDo not create precedent for future
  changes

5 Manipulation Co-Optation

• Sidestep ResistanceDiplomatic Management of
  Change detailsManipulation Techniques Power
  Skills to influence people

6 Implicit Explicit Coercion

• No ConsensusProfound DisagreementNo Ground
  ShiftingForce Threats, but NO
  ViolenceDictatorial Transformation

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HELPING PEOPLE ADAPT
Help Yourself

• Strong Emotions are not comfortable or move us
  forward.
• So how do we control them?
• Let the emotional side express itself then
  pass control to the rational side.

Overcome Powerlessness

• Establish sense of control in other areas of
  life
• Avoid taking on other efforts that sap energy
• Find practical ways to exert control over life
  during this period of flux

Inventory the Gains the Losses

• Develop objectivity for what is happening
• Try to see benefits not losses to a new
  situation
• Balance Losses to Gains in a realistic way

Re Anchor

• Balance between workrelated anchor points
  emotionrelated anchor points
• When a point is uprooted obtain stability by
  strengthening anchor points elsewhere

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HELPING PEOPLE ADAPT
Managers Helping Employees I

• Managers address successfully technical issues
  of change but very often ignore the human side.
• Managers are there to lead their people or else
  they are simply ineffective.
• Managers should help employees through fear.
• Managers should think sometimes more like
  Military Leaders
• Change is War!

Coping with Shock Stage

• Prepare people long before change hits.
• Periodically inoculate your stuff with small
  doses of change
• Find new anchors for lost employees
• Provide opportunities for people to vent their
  feelings
• Be a good listener Do not sell change
• Help with Stress Management

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HELPING PEOPLE ADAPT
Managers Helping Employees II
Coping with Defensive Retreat Stage

• Maximize or strengthen Small Group Cohesion
• Give people a source of identity, safety
  support
• Help people connect to each other

Coping with Acknowledgment Stage

• Grief for what has been lost and Liberating
  FeelingsUse Them
• Continue listening to people But now stress the
  benefits of the new Status Quo
• Build more anchors and more group cohesion
• Encourage slow risk taking

Coping with Acceptance and Adaptation Stage

• Facilitate those who do not finally adapt
• Work on group dynamics
• Understand nourish personal feelings of
  accomplishment
• Focus on ActionNot Feelings
• Outplace those who are unable after all to fit in

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HELPING PEOPLE ADAPT RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
Summary

• Resistance to change is a normal part of
  adaptation to change
• Managers must learn to cope with resistance
• Resisters may provide useful information about
  the people who have a strong interest in
  maintaining the current Status Quo
• People usually respond through the 5 or 4 stages
• People ought to help themselves
• Managers must can help people survive these
  stages through a number of methods and ways