Managing Change: Dealing with Resistance to Change





Change is inevitable in an organization, but the process of adapting can be painful. Organizational change can cause anxiety and upheaval, and when it does, it's no surprise that employees show resistance. Resistance behaviors can vary from individual to individual and they are often unproductive. While managers may be tempted to deal with behaviors directly, rather than tackling symptoms of resistance to change, managers must deal with the source of those symptoms. They must first understand the mixture of emotions and thoughts that come with change, identify the underlying causes of employee resistance, and then use techniques to address those root causes. When the root causes are addressed, behaviors that show resistance to change will fade. This course outlines these aspects of overcoming resistance to change. It surveys the active and passive symptoms of resistance to change, goes deeper to explore the emotional and thought-based causes of these symptoms, and provides strategies for dealing with root causes through direct conversations with employees. Materials designed to support blended learning activities aligned with this course are available from the Resources Page.


Any manager or leader who has an interest in or will manage or lead organizational change


1.0

Overcoming Resistance to Change

  • classify resistance behaviors
  • recognize the underlying sources of resistance demonstrated in behaviors
  • use open communication, employee involvement, and change agents to handle resistance in a given scenario


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