Do you have people in your team pushing back on change? It might not be because they’re difficult, but they’re just exhausted by it. With constant, overlapping demands coming from every direction, it’s no surprise their motivation dips and their resistance grows. Instead of trying to force people to get on board, there’s a simple step you can take to get them started. It doesn’t instantly remove resistance, but it starts to change how people feel about what’s possible – and that’s where real momentum begins.
https://swiy.co/go-small-wins-big-change
As a leader, are you finding your people are resistant to change?
In a recent online presentation, I was talking about building a culture of change agents, and one person said their team is going through constant change. And not just one change at a time, but multiple overlapping changes – and it’s creating uncertainty, instability, and change fatigue. His biggest challenge, not surprisingly, is sustaining motivation during this time.
I’m hearing that a lot.
Leaders tell me their teams are change fatigued, and often it’s from external change completely outside their control. Sometimes it’s even imposed from higher levels of the organisation, but it’s still outside their control.
So what can you do?
First, accept there’s a lot of change, and there will be a lot more in the future. This isn’t a temporary state that will eventually revert to normal; this IS normal.
So, what can you do about it?
Recognise that not everybody is going to be open to change at the same level or at the same time.
So, one of the first things you can do is what Chip and Dan Heath, in their book “Switch”, call “finding the bright spots”:
Find positive examples of change, share them, and amplify them.
Ideally, find examples from within your own team. Even the smallest stories, anecdotes, and case studies can help.
This doesn’t mean those people who are resistant to change will magically change. It probably takes more before they’re full open to change and embrace it. But at least they can see examples of successful change.
So, invite people to think of success stories, give them a place to share them (such as the regular staff meeting or an online bulletin board), and celebrate their success.
For practical ways to put this into action, download my worksheet, which is all about finding, sharing, and amplifying bright spots in your workplace. Use it with your team to help people move from resistance to starting to believe that change is possible — and even positive.
Download the worksheet: