Push-Back: When Your People Resist Change

Change has become such a constant in the workplace that we are beginning to delude ourselves that everyone likes it. Although some people do thrive on change, it is a stress for most. I'd like to share with you some ideas that other managers are finding useful in lessening resistance to change.

Open up 2-way communication. Really 2-way. I saw a well meaning manager spend most of a meeting convincing his employees that a proposed re-structuring was going to be a good thing. Caught up in his own enthusiasm, he left only 5 minutes at the end for questions. Many of the employees walked out grumbling. It's scary to invite questions because you don't know what will come up but it's scarier - and less effective - to avoid that dialogue. When change hits, run Q&A meetings, get together small focus groups at lunch, send out surveys.

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