Mastering the Art of Change: A Practical Guide for Overcoming Resistance and Driving Innovation
You are resistant to change, I am resistant to change, we’re ALL resistant to change!
In the world of innovation, we often talk about resistance to change. And it often gets talked about as an abnormality in the process and as an issue that must be shut down as swiftly as possible. But when you think about it, it’s the most human thing in the world to resist change. Change brings with it the opposite of what we strive to have in our lives which is stability and comfort. Change is an unknown that will undoubtedly be somewhat uncomfortable and maybe even painful. So our initial reaction is NO THANK YOU. As an innovator driving forward an idea, how do you overcome that natural universal response? Here are a few things I have found helpful over the years.
Make people the co creators of change
People hate having change imposed on them. Often they resist change because they feel left out of it, blindsighted by it, and because they don’t see how they fit in with it. Trust me when I say that I have tried the path of surprising people and areas of an organization with a big reveal of an innovation that was developed without them and it NEVER leads anywhere good. I have found that people are much more open to supporting change if they feel they co-authored it, and were consulted in its design. This can mean doing an ideation session that includes them or doing a one-on-one check-in with a key stakeholder before finalizing an idea. A side benefit is of course that the idea is probably better thanks to that extra input and perspective. I have been fascinated to find that once people feel the change is THEIR baby because they had a hand in creating it, they not only support it but actually become its champions to make it come to life!
Use empathy to address the concerns behind the resistance
Most people resist change because they are concerned and worried about its impact. So instead of thinking “These bozos just don’t get it, they need to get with the program”, how about trying to understand and address their concerns? Are they worried this will take more time and effort than the status quo? Are they concerned that there will be errors and mistakes with this change? Are they worried this might put their job at risk? As you uncover concerns, consider these 3 questions: How can I alleviate this worry a bit? How can I make this less difficult? How can I make this more beneficial?
Present the change as a temporary experiment
People hate letting go of what they know and are used to, even if it’s not that great! So what if you present your change as an experiment? If people see that the change is still up for consideration and that if it isn't really better than what we currently have, we won’t just bulldoze through stubbornly, they’ll be more willing to give it a try. And then the results will speak for themselves. Of course, that means you have to be open and willing to adjust the idea if it in fact doesn’t deliver on its promise (but you should be open to that no matter what!).
So the next time you are pushing forward an innovative change, don’t wait to see who resists it and how you will push past that resistance because that doesn’t usually work. Instead, plan on bringing people onboard in designing the change, work to deeply understand and address their concerns ahead of time, and consider adopting a test and learn approach to the change so that people can get onboard with experimenting with it. It’s a much more humane approach and given that no change can be successful if you don’t get people on board, it’s also a much more successful approach!
