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Common Reactions to Change

Share this page: Share Webmail / Other Change is a necessary part of the modern business world, and strong leadership and change management skills are essential for change implementation to be successful. Employee reactions to change can be diverse and potentially damaging to the change implementation efforts. When implementing change, it is important to remember that all change causes a certain degree of stress with employees. In order for the employee to embrace the change (ie tolerate the stress) it must clearly have a payoff at the end, or a WIFM (What's in it for me?) Active Resistance This is the most negative reaction to a proposed change attempt. It may involve sabotage of the effort, or may simply involve outspoken objections to the new procedures. Employees will engage in active resistance for a variety of reasons: - Disrupted Habits - Fear of Failure - Feelings of Uncertainty - Perceived Negative Personal Impact - Perceived Loss of Power - Perceived Increase in Workload It is critical for a manager to identify the source of the negative reaction in order to address it. The employee will often present what appears to be a rational argument against the change, but remember that the deeper motivation is almost always emotional. Passive Resistance This involves being disturbed by changes without necessarily voicing these opinions. This can be more difficult to detect. Individuals may dislike the change quietly, feel stressed and unhappy, and even look for a new job without necessarily bringing their concerns to the attention of decision makers. The root cause of this behaviour is often similar to that of active resistance. Compliance The flip side of passive resistance. The individual will go along with the proposed changes, often in a quietly disgruntled fashion, because it is easier to comply than to resist. Enthusiastic Support These individuals defend the new change and actually encourage others around to embrace the new procedure. Ideally, they will offer support to individuals who are struggling to adopt the new methods. It is critical to have some champions among your staff, but it is equally important to have some individuals who resist the change in a constructive fashion, so that the methodology can be questioned and ultimately improved. Remember when you are managing a change implementation, some resistance is natural and even healthy. It is only when it becomes irrational, extended and detrimental to the effort that it need be of serious concern. The above information is made available through: CreativeCommons.org Derivative by Athivia College (2010), Original materials: Collins, Karen., Exploring Business. Retrieved Apr 8, 2010 from http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/node/123782 . Collins, Karen. Exploring Business. 1969 . Flat World Knowledge. 8 Apr, 2010.