Resistance to change—it's not you, it's me
You’ve made the case. Clear. Compelling. Maybe even a bit poetic. So why aren't they—people in your organization—changing?
We’re not fans of the phrase “resistance to change”. It assumes change is always good. That people are obligated to jump onboard just because someone in a manager’s chair says so. And that if they hesitate, it's because they’re flawed, stubborn, or stuck.
But that's just not true. People aren’t inherently resistant to change—they’re just smart enough to resist things that don’t make sense to them.
Here’s the cure that traditional change management likes to offer: convincing and educating. Wrapped up in softer language, of course, such as: “Create urgency.” “Build a shared vision.” “Communicate the why.” “Provide training and support.” The idea? Help people understand the change, believe it’s crucial, and then, fingers crossed, they’ll act.
But here’s a tough pill to swallow: If someone doesn’t benefit from the change, resisting it is the rational thing to do.
And if you're asking someone to drop something familiar and proven for something new and uncertain, guess what? The burden of proof is on you.
The real problem isn’t that people resist change. It’s that the change just isn't worth it—for them.
Need help fixing that? We’ll get it done without blaming anyone or creating another 72-slide deck. Promise!
Want to dive deeper into this topic first? Great! I recommend giving this a read:
The six most likely reasons people aren't changing already
Vadim Feldman
Founder and Management Consultant
