Presented by:Vicky EmeryGeneral Manager, Being HumanProsci Advanced Instructor
Change Community of Practice Webinars
Working with Resistance
Introducing Being Human• Founded in 1993• Our mission: develop change-capable
people and organisations to achieve the benefits of change
• Prosci Primary Affiliate Australia and New Zealand since 2006
• Support at project level: Prosci-Certified Change Managers to support projects and Change Practitioners
• Build skilled application: Prosci Advanced Instructors – deliver programs for Change Practitioners, Project Managers, Executives, Managers and Employees
• Build Enterprise-wide change capability & Change Portfolio Management - consulting and contracting
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Agenda
• What does resistance look like and what are the impacts?
• Where does it come from and what are the reasons?
• What does Best Practices Benchmarking Study say about resistance and how to manage it?
• Top 5 Tips - Advice for Change Practitioners
• Close
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Prosci® Flight Risk Model
Time
Incr
easi
ng re
sist
ance
dec
reas
ing
prod
uctiv
ity
With change, expect a decline in productivity and an increase in resistance.
1st Communication or 1st Rumor
Productivity lossEmployee dissatisfactionPassive resistance
Turnover of valued employeesTangible customer impactActive resistanceOpt-out of the change
Multiple changes within the organization aggravate and compound this risk.
Prosci® Flight Risk Model
1st Communication or 1st Rumor
Project 1
Project 3
Project 2
Time
Incr
easi
ng re
sist
ance
dec
reas
ing
prod
uctiv
ity
What does resistance look and sound like?
Covert resistance• Schedule gets drawn out through late decisions• Deliverables run late• Discussion – lots…• Low participation• No-shows at key meetings
Overt resistance• Refusal to adopt the change• Industrial Action• Sabotage of the change or organisation• Loss of staff or clients
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Most Resistant Group?
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5%
14%
49%
28%
4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Executives and Directors
Senior-Level Managers
Middle-level Managers
Front-line Employees
Other
Percentage of Respondents
2016 Best Practices in Change Management Report – 9th Edition.Prosci Inc copyright 2016.
The Top Reasons for Employee Resistance
Lack of Awareness of Why a Change is Needed1
Change Specific Resistance2
Change Saturation3
Fear4
Lack of Support From Management or Leadership5
p164
2016 Best Practices in Change Management Report – 9th Edition.Prosci Inc copyright 2016.
The Top Reasons for Manager Resistance
Organizational Culture1
Lack of Awareness and Knowledge About the Change2
Lack of Buy-in3
Misalignment of Project Goals and Personal Incentives4
Lack of Confidence in Their Own Ability to Manage the People Side of Change5
p166
2016 Best Practices in Change Management Report – 9th Edition.Prosci Inc copyright 2016.
What Drives Resistance?
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The enablers or elements that may create a desire to change include:
Hope in future state
Trust and respect for leadership
Incentive or compensation
Ownership for the future state
Acquisition of power or position
Career advancement
Affiliation and a sense of belonging
Enhanced job security
Imminent negative consequences
Discontent with the current state
Fear of job loss
When does it happen?
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17%
9% 5%
2%
11%
54%
65% 63%
50% 49%
19% 19%
28%
39%
12%
Initiation Planning Design Implementation Closure
Resistance During Each Stage of the Project LifecycleNo Resistance Little or Some Resistance Significant Resistance
2016 Best Practices in Change Management Report – 9th Edition.Prosci Inc copyright 2016.
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Tip 1: Stay connected & use your network to spot resistance• You can’t do this work from your
desk – develop healthy channels:• Managers• Change Champions• Customers
• Have regular check-ins with Managers – help them spot it, too
• Are you still hearing ‘why?’ Check your cascades
• Are current communication channels and methods working?
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Tip 2 – Don’t take it at face-value, dig into it• Understand what the resistance is really about
• What reasons are people using to delay/stop the change? Look deeper…
• Look deeper, look for patterns• How is it a ‘clue’ about what is really
important to this group or this person?• Is what you are seeing part of the
culture – is it helping or not? Is changing the culture part of the targeted outcomes for this change or not? How do you work with it?
• See Tip 1! Use your network to validate the concerns
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Tip 3: Act quickly• Reconfirm the big picture before
moving into local impact• Have examples of the impact for that
team or person – including the hard news
• Share examples of how other teams or people have dealt with the concern
• Acknowledge the history and impact of past changes
• Do not promise what you cannot• Acknowledge shift• Get the right person to have these
conversations• What if they are right?
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Tip 4: Invest in Maintaining Desire
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Managers cannotdictate or control an employee's desire to change. Employees
choose. However, that does not mean that
managers are powerless to manage
change.
• Best approach for building and maintaining desire? Sponsorship –at all levels
• Check your layers and cascades• Be clear on your role and that of
the Sponsor • Build regular check-ins and lots of
two way loops – awareness and desire building isn’t just for the beginning!
• This is the most time-consuming element, the most critical and has the most pay-off
Tip 5: Share the Wins!• Socialisation is big! The power of
collective wisdom• Use information from any ‘pilot’ up
front• Get and share the data – how are
other people actually adopting the change? Share staff and customer stories
• Give people the information they need to make the choice to support the change - continually
• How can you use former detractors?
• Leverage the enthusiasm people have for the results they have achieved or the outcomes for them
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More info
beinghuman.com.au• Free Prosci Webinars • Free Change Community of Practice Webinars
Prosci • prosci.com• portal.prosci.com
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