Resistance occurs when someone is unwilling to change. It appears as behavior that blocks, diverts or undermines a change or decision. Resistance may be overt or covert.

Overt Resistance:

• I don't t want to do it!
• I won't do it!
• Attacking: This is a stupid project and a waste of my time!

Covert Resistance:

• Asking for too much detail.
• Giving too much detail.
• Asking the same question or objection over and over.
• Continually raising just one more question or objection.
• Not responding to calls, memos, requests or inquiries.
• Not coming to meetings or arriving late and leaving early.
• Silence or withdrawal.
• Over compliance or submission: Whatever you say is fine.
• Raising red herrings which divert the focus.
• Being disruptive in meetings.

Even though some of these can be quite confrontational, they are covert since they do not directly deal with the issue.

Some cases of resistance are obviously examples of good thinking and quickly recognized as such.

• I have an emergency today and can't help you now.

Why People Resist

The ability to resist is a basic self?preservation mechanism. Resistance occurs because the change threatens our safety, our control or expectations.

Safety

Since my boss does not support your project, there is too much risk for me if I support it.

Control

Everyone intuitively knows that change ventures into the unknown. If I'm comfortable doing the work manually, and you want me to use a computer, you are asking me to lose control of the competence I have while learning a new method.

Expectations

Employees and organizations have reciprocal obligations and commitments, some stated, some implied. Taken together they define the relationship, which we call a compact, some components of which may be written, some not.

The Personal Compact consists of three components:

• Formal: basic tasks and performance requirements, usually documented in job descriptions and contracts answering these questions:What am I supposed to do for the organization?What help will I get to do the job?How and when will I be evaluated?How will I be rewarded (pay, benefits, recognition, etc.)How will my rewards relate to my performance?

• Psychological: revolves around mutual loyalty, trust and interdependence between employee and organization. This captures the commitment of the employee to the organization's vision, mission and values. On the other hand, it reflects the organization's loyalty to the individual and its willingness to recognize a job well done.How hard will I have to work?What satisfaction will I get?Are the rewards worth it?

• Cultural: usually implicit. Largely created by the behavior of the leader. The leader's values and philosophy are revealed in his or her actions and decisions. Ultimately the culture answers these questions:What is important here?How do things really work around here?What is expected of me?

In many organizations the leader has not consciously designed the culture, but a culture nevertheless emerges. In other cases, the leaderss laissez?faire attitude allows individual managers to play a major role in creating the culture. The weaker the top leader, the more likely different departments or divisions have different cultures.

Culture is not created by signs, slogans, memos or motivational speeches. Employees are pragmatic enough to know that what the leader does is more important than what he or she says. Since the culture is created by the behavior of the leader(s), it can only be changed when the behavior of the leader(s) changes.

When change occurs these compacts are always impacted, but rarely addressed. Since much of the compact is unwritten and not discussed, it is extremely difficult for the resister to articulate the impact on him or her.

The earliest research on resistance was done in 1948 and reported in management literature in 1954. This work established that change always has both formal and informal components. The formal parts are the overt requests, decisions, etc. The informal parts consist of the psychological and cultural impacts described above. Invariably those seeking change focus on the formal and neglect the informal parts.

Here are some reasons why this happens.

• Pre-occupation with your agenda to the neglect of the key stakeholders.

• Know?how of the other stakeholders is overlooked.

• Impatience

• Lack of awareness of the five distinct systems which make up any organization.

• Use of jargon and concepts.

Traditional Response To Resistance
Most cases of resistance do not appear justified. Our natural reaction is to discount the resister in some way.

• Don'tbe defensive.
• You've got to learn to compromise.
• You're only thinking of yourself.
• It's time to change.
• Shape up or ship out.

Rarely are these responses acceptable to the resister. Not only do they increase the resistance, but they reduces the range of alternative ways of proceeding and the amount of energy available to focus on the change.

Yet when resistance occurs, the frequent strategies to overcome it are to:

• Dismiss the resistance as unimportant

• Seek support from those who have the authority to order compliance.

• Break through the resistance by "selling" the idea, or by logical reasoning.

• Overcome the resistance with coercion or threats.

• Induce guilt.

• Appeal to a higher goal of team work or supporting the organization.

Mostly, these strategies are ineffective. When resistance is discounted or attacked head?on, it increases. For the resister's safety the overt resistance often becomes covert. These strategies to overcome resistance may appear to work initially, but in the long run they induce deeper and more persistent resistance.

Working With Resistance Productively
To improve your ability to work with resistance, understand these basic assumptions:

• People always resist, consciously or unconsciously, when they perceive threats to themselves. All resistance is rational from the resister's perspective.

• Resistance is not something to overcome. Rather it a signals something needs attention. Like pain, it does not tell us what is wrong, only that something is wrong and needs attention.

• Resistance must be respected not discounted.

• Your desires or demands for change must be explicit and specific.

• Understand and acknowledge the informal components being challenged.

High Yield Strategies to Work with Resistance

Step 1: Surface The Resistance

The first and most difficult step gets the covert resistance out in the open. In many cases this is very difficult because of past emphasis on discounting and disrespecting resistance. To surface the resistance you must create an environment where there are no actual or implied recriminations for openness. It helps to publicly state:

• That you want to hear the real reasons for resistance
• Why it is important to you to hear them.

It certainly helps if the head of the organization makes this appeal or supports it. It may take several conversations for safety to be explored and tested. Impatience will scare the safety away. As the resistance begins to surface ask for all of it. Tell me more. Tell me more.

Step 2: Respect The Resistance
This means lots of listening, and

• NO discounting
• NO explaining
• NO justifying

Ask questions to clarify the resistance. But remember it may not make sense to you. Acknowledge the resistance as it surfaces by showing you respect the legitimacy of the resistance. For example:

• I now see why you are concerned about the proposed project.
• You certainly have a right to be concerned about this project.

The resistance you are hearing may be the tip of the iceberg. Encourage it to show the rest of itself. Your integrity in respecting the resistance links to your success in surfacing it.

Step 3: Explore the Resistance

Distinguish between specific and general resistance. Specific resistance relates to a specific demand being made by you. General resistance may reflect the resister's resentment or fear towards the organization as a whole or others in it. It may be impossible for you to address or respond to general resistance. Your focus is to identify the specific resistance. This is best done by asking: What is your objection to this request?

Probe the objection or the resistance. Ask:

• What would you prefer?
• How would you like to see it done?
• What other changes would make this more palatable?

Considering a Why Change? statement.

As the resister responds to questions like these, he or she will be working with you towards, rather than against, the objective.

Ends and Means

Be clear about the difference between your desired ends and the means required to achieve those ends. Be flexible in modifying means and methods, as long as the ends can be achieved. Many managers lose sight of the desired ends or purpose to be achieved, and become overly attached to the means. Frequently, resistance is resolved by creating a safer means for the resister.

Step 4: Recheck for Progress

If a productive dialogue has occurred, recheck the status of the resistance before the dialogue is over. Has any progress been made? You do not need to resolve all the resistance. Just enough for you to proceed. Thank the other person for their time and fro engaging in the dialogue.

Persistence

Resolving resistance takes persistence, often in the face of conflict. If you are uncomfortable dealing with conflict or if you are impatient, this will be your challenge.