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

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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

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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?

9

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

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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

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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

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Prosci • prosci.com• portal.prosci.com

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