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Change Management: Human Speedbumps to Change
By harveyrobbins | September 18, 2007
The most constant factor in each of our lives is change. At work, at home, at play, daily transitions occur that make things different. Some variations are large and significant; most are small and simply intrude upon our daily routine. In order to understand our reaction to change, we first need to look at the speedbumps which slow us down as we approach any change. These fall into three types: People, Process, and Structures. For this newsletter, I will focus on the human speedbumps preventing positive change.
Resistance to change is almost a fundamental fact of human nature. We wish this were not true. Resistance to the inevitable suggests there is something sort of stupid about us. But true it is.
The sequence goes like this:
1. Unplanned change creates anxiety …
2. Anxiety drags its feet in resistance …
3. Irresistible force collides with immovable object …
4. Team explodes in immense fireball.
It happens every time. Well, not every time. Few lottery winners decline to take possession of their winnings, to sidestep the changes that wealth brings. But most change stimulates resistance.
Human beings are creatures of habit, each one surrounded by an individual comfort zone of behaviors and interactions. Too much variation often means we must leave our comfort zone and face unknown consequences, which we then have to evaluate.
If we win the lottery, get a promotion, or find a new friend, most of us react positively. It’s where we perceive negative consequences to change, or continued uncertainty, that we resist.
Resistance can come from a number of sources:
1. Fear – of failure; of loss (loss of identity, belonging, control, meaning, security, etc.); of the unknown; and of negative consequences, such as criticism for mistakes.
2. Laziness – not wanting to put in the effort to make the change happen. These are the people who only see the short-term work required and become myopic to the big picture or future, long-term gains.
3. Previous momentum – too much time and effort expended in the “old ways.” This is the opposite of laziness. One is heading deliberately in a familiar direction, has picked up speed, is feeling OK – then is asked to apply the brakes and turn in a brand-new direction. This takes a toll on renewed team commitment, not to mention brake lining.
4. History – dislike or distrust of the initiators of change. This is where “getting even” sometimes takes place. Either to settle an old score or just because you don’t like the person in charge, you resist – actively or passively.
5. Payoff – no perceived return for your change investment (what’s in it for me?). Not only are humans creatures of habit, but we’re a bit selfish too. If we do not see an advantage for ourselves in the change effort, we tend to wait out the change or not participate with enthusiasm. It becomes the task of the leaders within an organization, then, to clarify the payoff for each individual team member, as appropriate.
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