Addressing Resistance to Change in Client Training

They were hemorrhaging money on digital tools their managers refused to use. The situation: A retail giant in the diamond industry with post-COVID digital sales tools sitting unused. Store managers resisting change. Market volatility crushing performance. Here's what every other company does: More training on features. Explaining benefits harder. Pushing adoption metrics. Here's what my client did instead: They ignored the technology completely. Instead, they trained 200+ managers on something nobody else was teaching; how to fall in love with change itself. For 8 months, we didn't focus on the digital tools once. We taught them Change Enthusiasm®, how to see disruption as opportunity, resistance as data, and overwhelm as information. We certified managers in emotional processing, not technical skills. The results were staggering: → 30% increase in digital adoption (without a single tech training session) →  2X ROI boost for those who embraced the mindset →  25% sales uplift in stores with certified managers →  96% of participants improved business outcomes Here's the breakthrough insight: People don't resist technology. They resist change. Fix the relationship with change, and adoption becomes automatic. While competitors were fighting symptoms, this company cured the disease. The secret wasn't better technology training, it was better humans. When managers learned to thrive through change, they stopped seeing digital tools as threats and started seeing them as allies. Most companies are solving the wrong problem. They're trying to make people adopt technology. We help people embrace transformation. The results speak for themselves. What would happen if you stopped training on tools and started training on change? ♻️ Share if you believe the future belongs to change-ready organizations 🔔 Follow for insights on making transformation inevitable, not optional

Resistance Isn’t A Problem To Solve Resistance to change (e.g., to Agile) is often seen as a roadblock, something to overcome or dismiss. But that perspective misses an important truth: resistance isn’t inherently bad. It’s a signal. When addressed thoughtfully, resistance can lead to smarter decisions and better strategies. Rather than trying to eliminate resistance, embrace it. Harness it. Understanding Resistance Resistance arises when people feel a proposed change threatens their routines, values, or understanding of their role in the system. It’s a natural response to uncertainty and risk. Often, it stems from experience or insights you may lack. If you approach resistance with curiosity, you may uncover valuable perspectives that help avoid blind spots. Resistance as a Safeguard Without resistance, every bad idea would just get implemented, poorly. Resistance can act as a safeguard against bad decisions. Your best-laid plans may overlook risks or fail to address key details. Resistance highlights the pitfalls by asking critical questions: Are there unintended consequences? Does this align with long-term goals? Have operational impacts been considered? Embracing resistance surfaces potential flaws, leading to better and more resilient plans. Encouraging Resistance Creating systems that encourage safe, continuous participation is essential for harnessing resistance. Anonymous feedback tools like Google Forms, Suggestion Ox, or SurveyMonkey allow people to share concerns freely. Facilitated listening sessions, focus groups, and retros create opportunities for honest conversation. Platforms like Miro or Slack can host real-time discussions. Tools like Culture Amp or Officevibe provide pulse surveys to track concerns over time. Building trust is critical. Respond to resistance with empathy and curiosity to foster a culture of openness. Close feedback loops by sharing how concerns are being addressed. Transforming Resistance Resistance can be a catalyst for improvement. When embraced, it improves outcomes by surfacing risks early, broadening support, and sparking innovation. Diverse perspectives may lead to creative solutions, while the process of welcoming and addressing resistance builds trust and alignment. Sabotage Ain’t Resistance Resistance becomes harmful when it turns into sabotage. Sabotage disrupts progress, erodes trust, and damages morale. It often stems from unresolved resistance that has festered, so don't let it get that far. But if it does, address it directly and take firm action when necessary. The Opportunity Resistance isn’t a problem to solve; it’s an opportunity to explore. Leaders who embrace it gain valuable insights that strengthen strategies and create better outcomes. By using tools and methods that prioritize safety and feedback, resistance becomes a force for progress. The next time you sense resistance, listen, engage, and adapt. The voices you once saw as obstacles may be your greatest allies.

Resistance is your ally. Many of us think when we encounter resistance to change - whether within us or interacting with others-that resistance is the obstacle. When in fact, the very resistance we’re encountering is often the source of insight we need in order to make change happen. There is a concept in coaching I talk with my clients often about… and it’s this idea we all have two lives- the one we’re living, and the unlived life within us. And what stands between them is our resistance to change. Organizations have two cultures- the one employees are experiencing and the unrealized culture it has the potential to create. And what stands between them is the pushback- resistance- to change. If resistance is our ally- a reframe of epic proportion- what benefit can it bring? Loss- most people aren’t against the outcomes change would bring. What they wrestle with is the loss (perceived or real) they expect to experience. Action: take time to understand the impact of change and be aware and empathetic to how this may land on others. Fear- we often struggle with NIMSU (No Information Make ‘Stuff’ Up) when it comes to change; creating a false narrative about the change. Action: Be aware as a leader we all have a tendency to fill blank spaces with negative fictitious narratives. What is that narrative we or others make up? Clarity- Resistance can sometimes be the result of poor communication, limited information or misinformation. Action: Have you taken time to ensure - not that others understand what you’ve said- rather that you have been understood by others? Discomfort- Disequilibrium is always the necessary precursor to change. We never grow when we’re comfortable. Action: What challenges does the person (maybe ourselves) have about this change initiative? Do I grasp the implications of how this will make others feel? And what am I doing to lower their angst? People will not change within two scenarios- when there is too much anxiety in the system and where there is not enough anxiety- your role as a leader is to lower or raise that discomfort then keep it at a level others (and ourselves) can move forward. How else have you found Resistance as your ally?

"We can't automate these deployments. Do you know how many things could go wrong? We've always done it this way for a reason. If this system goes down, we lose millions." The hardest part of creating change isn't learning new behaviors — it's unlearning the old ones. A while back, a team I was advising maintained a mission-critical system that had been running for over a decade. The deployment process was extraordinarily cautious: manual testing by multiple teams, a lengthy approval chain, mandatory bake time in pre-production, and releases that only happened at 2 AM on Sundays. Everyone hated those deployments. The process was exhausting, killed morale, and despite the caution, they still had occasional issues. When we proposed moving to automated testing and continuous deployment, the resistance was immediate. Not because people didn't want improvement, but because the existing process, despite its flaws, felt safe. Team members who had nursed this system for years couldn't imagine trusting automation with something so critical. This is the challenge of organizational unlearning: it's not just about new processes, it's about addressing our deeply human resistance to abandoning the familiar, especially with high-stakes systems where failure isn't an option. Why is unlearning so difficult? ↳ Success reinforces current patterns ("This system has been stable for years") ↳ Organizational practices become intertwined with personal identity ("I'm the person who keeps this running") ↳ Deep knowledge can counterintuitively become a barrier to adaptation ↳ Under pressure, people instinctively default to what feels comfortable and known When we finally made the shift, we took a gradual approach: 🤖 Automated existing tests first before adding new ones, building trust in the tooling ⚖️ Ran old and new processes in parallel, demonstrating that the automated approach caught everything the manual process did 🪜 Started with lower-risk components before working up to the core system 🎯 Celebrated the first incident caught by automation that manual testing missed Six months later, deployments happened during business hours, system stability had improved, and the team had their nights and weekends back. When I asked one engineer who had been initially resistant how he felt, he said: "I can't believe we did it the old way for so long. But I also couldn't have imagined doing it any other way back then." Unlearning is fundamentally uncomfortable. As leaders, our job isn't to eliminate that discomfort, but to help our teams accept it as a necessary part of growth and to create environments where temporary discomfort doesn't feel like existential threat. #engineering #learning #changemanagement #leadership -------- 👋 Hi, I'm Nathan Broslawsky. Follow me here and subscribe to my newsletter above for more insights on leadership, product, and technology. ♻️ If you found this useful and think others might as well, please repost for reach!

I recently worked with a team driving a significant change initiative, only to face a lot of pushback from their team members. It reminded me of something Dr. Brené Brown has shared from her research: The number one shame trigger at work is fear of irrelevance. When we’re in shame, we behave in very patterned ways: we avoid, we appease and people-please, or we fight against. As leaders, we often find ourselves in positions to lead change. If we’re not considering how that change might trigger fears of irrelevance, we’re only making the process harder. Think about it. When team members feel irrelevant, they might: Avoid: Missing meetings, not engaging in discussions, or failing to contribute ideas. Appease and People-Please: Agreeing with everything without offering genuine input, overcommitting to tasks, or trying too hard to please everyone. Fight Against: Openly resisting changes, being overly critical, or spreading negativity. These behaviors can seriously hinder your change initiatives. Avoidance leads to a lack of innovation and progress. Appeasement results in half-hearted efforts and burnout. Resistance creates friction and slows down the entire process. As leaders, it’s crucial to recognize these patterns and address them head-on. Start by acknowledging the potential fear of irrelevance. Open up conversations about how changes might impact roles and responsibilities. Show empathy and understanding. By creating an environment where team members feel valued and relevant, we can ease the transition and make change less threatening. Encourage open dialogue, validate concerns, and highlight the importance of each person’s contribution. Remember, leading change isn’t just about the new processes or strategies—it’s about the people. Addressing the emotional aspects of change can transform resistance into resilience and pushback into progress. Next time you're leading a change initiative, consider how you're addressing these emotional triggers. How have you navigated these challenges with your team? Let’s share our stories and insights! #facilitator #thoughtleadership #businessleaders #teamdevelopment #decisionmaking Leading Authorities, Inc.

🎓 Just wrapped up my Change Management course at eCornell and I'm buzzing with insights. Plot twist: The biggest resistance to change isn't people—it's our approach to people. Here's what clicked for me during my final project (analyzing my intranet rollout): The "resistance" we fear? It's usually just poor change design. When I led our company's intranet implementation, I braced for pushback. Gatekeepers protecting their territory. Tool loyalists clinging to Google Docs. The usual suspects. 👀 Instead, I found something fascinating: ✨ People WANT systems that work for them. The "resistance" disappeared when I: → Started with their pain points (not my solution) → Made them co-creators (not just users) → Showed immediate value (not future promises) 🔥 Hot take from the course: Most change management fails because we treat symptoms, not systems (boy could I use this analogy for Health in the US) We say "people resist change" when we should say "people resist bad change management." Three things I'm taking into my next People Ops project: 1️⃣ Design WITH, not FOR → Include skeptics in the planning phase 2️⃣ Start with stories, not spreadsheets → Why does this matter to them personally? 3️⃣ Make adoption easier than avoidance → Remove friction, don't add training The real kicker? My "resistant" colleagues became my biggest advocates once they saw the system actually solved their problems. 💡 Bottom line: Change management is just user experience design for organizational systems. And just like bad UX kills products, bad change management kills initiatives. 🧐 What's your experience? Have you seen change efforts fail because of the approach, not the people? #ChangeManagement #PeopleOps #eCornell #FutureOfWork #SystemsThinking #PeopleOpsAsProduct

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 🌟 Facing resistance to new learning initiatives or changes in training methods? You're not alone. Resistance from employees and managers can be a significant roadblock, stalling progress and hindering the successful adoption of new skills and technologies. Resistance Ignoring this resistance can be costly. It can prevent your organization from staying competitive and adaptable in a fast-evolving business landscape. Here’s how to effectively tackle this issue: 📌 Engage Stakeholders Early: Involve employees and managers in the planning phase of new learning initiatives. Seek their input and feedback to make them feel part of the change process. This reduces resistance as they begin to see the change as something they helped shape. 📌 Communicate the Benefits Clearly: Clearly articulate the benefits of the new training methods. Explain how these changes will improve their job performance, career growth, and the organization’s overall success. Use real-world examples and success stories to illustrate the positive impact. 📌 Provide Continuous Support: Offer ongoing support throughout the change process. This includes training sessions, Q&A forums, and one-on-one coaching. Ensure that employees know where to seek help and feel supported as they transition to the new methods. 📌 Address Concerns Openly: Create an open dialogue where employees can voice their concerns and questions. Address these concerns transparently and provide solutions or adjustments when possible. Acknowledging and addressing fears can ease the transition. 📌 Leverage Change Champions: Identify and empower change champions within your organization. These individuals can advocate for the new initiatives, share their positive experiences, and encourage their peers to embrace the change. 📌 Monitor and Celebrate Progress: Track the progress of the new initiatives and celebrate milestones and successes. Recognizing and rewarding employees for their adaptability and participation can boost morale and reinforce positive behavior. 📌 Provide Practical Training: Ensure that the new training methods are practical and relevant to the employees' roles. Hands-on, relatable content can make the learning process more engaging and less daunting. 📌 Use a Phased Approach: Implement changes in phases rather than all at once. This gradual approach allows employees to adapt at a manageable pace and reduces the overwhelm that can accompany significant changes. By engaging stakeholders early, communicating benefits clearly, and providing robust support, you can overcome resistance and pave the way for successful learning and development initiatives. Got more strategies for overcoming resistance to change in L&D? Share them below! ⬇️ #ChangeManagement #LearningAndDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #TrainingInnovation #OrganizationalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 Anna smirked across the room and raised her hand: "It sounds like this planning process is just a way to spy on our lessons and our teaching." Half the room erupted in agreement. Several teachers started clapping. 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲: • Gotten defensive • Doubled down on their authority • Tried to power through the agenda 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱: He paused. He listened. He got curious. "Let me take in what I'm hearing; I need a minute to think." Then he did something radical—he shared power. "It looks like this day didn't start as planned. Thank you to those who spoke up. I appreciate that this is a place where people can freely share their feedback... It's also not clear to me how everyone feels about this plan." 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: Resistance isn't about your content. It's about unmet needs. Anna and her colleagues needed:  🔸 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 - Choice in their learning process  🔸 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 - Recognition of their expertise 🔸 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 - Belief that this wasn't surveillance  🔸 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 - Opportunity to influence the direction 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀:  ✅ 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲: "Help me understand what's coming up for you."  ✅ 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴: "The new schedule is happening. Here's where you have influence..."  ✅ 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿: "How can we collaborate on this process?"  ✅ 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Fear, overwhelm, lack of choice 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁: By the following semester, Anna was one of the biggest champions for the new approach. She regularly met with the facilitator to improve the process. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁: When you meet resistance with curiosity instead of control, you often discover allies hiding underneath the pushback. 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗣𝗗. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽? 👇 P.S. If you want to grow as a PD facilitator, here’s my free Three Mistakes You’re Making with Your PD… and What to Do Instead tool: https://lnkd.in/guKwkGyu #ProfessionalDevelopment #Resistance #Leadership #PowerWith