How to overcome resistance to change, and why it starts earlier than you think
"How will we overcome the inevitable resistance to change?"
It's a question that comes up again and again. You'll have heard it. You may even have asked it yourself, often when preparing to lead a change, or when interviewing someone you hope will come in and "do" change for you.
The question rests on a familiar belief: that people are, by nature, resistant to change.
That belief is a myth. Or at least, an incomplete idea.
People change all the time
They change habits, routines and behaviours. In fact, it's difficult to think of anything people won't change when the change solves a problem they recognise.
Think about this. Your feet hurt. You work out it's because of the shoes you're wearing. So you decide to buy a different pair. You go to the shops, choose a pair you like, try them on, and buy them.
That's a change. Do you feel resistant to it? Unlikely.
Now imagine a different scenario. I turn up and tell you that from now on, you're going to wear these shoes. I assure you they're great, and wearing them will change your life. But you don't understand what's wrong with your current shoes. You've had no input into the choice. No chance to test the fit. No shared understanding of the problem we're trying to solve.
Resistant now?
Under these conditions, it's hard to imagine anyone who wouldn't be. In fact, resistance feels like the rational response.
Resistance is manufactured
Putting that response down to human nature is a massive oversimplification. It's one we often use to explain away a problem we created ourselves.
Resistance to change is manufactured by those driving the change.
You didn't wake up this morning resistant to change. That feeling was created when the change was imposed without a shared understanding.
People don't dislike change. They dislike change where the reason is unclear, that's done to them, and over which they have no say. They dislike change that doesn't make sense.
On the surface, that resistance can look irrational. Especially because you "get it". You understand why the change matters. Why don't they?
Nobody is being irrational
In Never Split the Difference, Chris Voss describes real negotiations where the other side's behaviour made no sense. They appeared to be acting completely irrationally. But simply saying "they're irrational" didn't help him or his team plan what to do next. It wasn't useful information.
What he realised was that when the other party behaves in a way that doesn't make sense, it's very rarely because they are irrational. Most often, they either have information we don't, or they're missing information we have. They are acting rationally based on their view of the world.
The same thing shows up in change. If you believe a change is the right thing to do, and others don't share your enthusiasm, it's tempting to conclude they're simply resistant. That they're being difficult. That they're standing in the way of progress.
But that conclusion rests on two assumptions. First, that the reason for the change is already clear to them. Second, that your understanding of the situation is complete.
In practice, neither is usually true. The people doing the work are often closest to how it really functions. They live with the constraints. They absorb the unintended consequences. They know where previous "good ideas" quietly fell apart.
So where does overcoming resistance start?
Not when resistance appears. Much earlier.
It starts with being clear about what needs to improve, and why. And then being curious enough to involve the people who know the work best in shaping how the change happens.
Calling someone "resistant to change" is no more useful than calling a negotiator irrational.
When people understand the problem from your perspective, and you understand the work from theirs, something shifts. There is shared context. There is a sense of control. There is ownership. You're standing shoulder to shoulder, working on the problem together.
And as a side effect, the solution is usually better. More practical, easier to embed, less likely to fall apart. Not because people have been persuaded, but because they've been involved.
So if you're experiencing resistance to change, stop and ask yourself one question:
How have I manufactured that resistance?