Your team is resistant to change and new work processes. How can you inspire them to grow and adapt?

All resistance is emotional. It is by definition not logical and cannot be removed with logic. It is by definition not rational and cannot be removed with rational explanations. The only way to help overcome resistance is to directly address the fear at an emotional level. This requires leaders to learn emotional processing with a group so they can dissolve the fear energy without fighting it or resisting it. Because that just creates more resistance. People need to feel validated and supported in their fears. After that, the leaders can provide directly opposite emotional experiences to fear that will take over. Like security, belonging, connection, and social support. This is the most important part of any successful change plan.

I will inquire about their reason for their resistance. I will educate them on the possible opportunities that come with the changes. I encourage them to keep an open mind and embrace new developments

Why is your team resistant to change in the first place? Because leadership has been stagnant. When leaders stop learning, stop creating, stop innovating, and stop developing their teams, everyone becomes resigned to monotony. Resistance is caused by poor leadership. Uncontested. If leadership creates a culture of constant change, then change will not be an issue because it becomes an expectation. And you will not have resistance. Resistance comes from an operation-focused, reactive approach in leadership. Stop being reactive, and start being proactive. Here’s how: “Adopt a People-First Leadership approach and everything else will happen holistically.” This is the only change every leader needs to make. Let’s talk. Book a 1:1

Inspiring a resistant team to embrace changes and new processes requires clear communication, empathy, and active engagement. Start with honesty explain the reasons for the changes, present the benefits and align them with team goals. Create an open forum for team members to express concerns, addressing them empathetically. Provide training and ongoing support to build confidence. Lead by example, showing commitment and positivity. Involve team members in decision-making to foster ownership, and set clear goals while celebrating milestones. Recognize and reward efforts to boost morale. Be patient and persistent, offering consistent encouragement to help the team adapt and grow.

It’s hard for me to grasp the full concept without developing a pragmatic scenario, between different protagonists, together with a conversation sample on which we can identify ourselves reacting or interacting. - How will you please highlight your findings with an illustrative situational example? It sounds very interesting & I remain confused. Please, Tell us the story.

A few years ago, the company I used to work for, introduced new project management software for a large infrastructure project. To address this, they organized a meeting to communicate the vision behind the change. They highlighted long-term benefits like improved collaboration, real-time progress tracking, and reduced errors, using real-life success stories from similar civil engineering projects. I emphasized how the new system would streamline our work and align with our project goals. We also provided hands-on training and continuous support. As the team saw the benefits firsthand, their resistance faded, and they enthusiastically adopted the new process.

One thing I have found useful is that new processes come with more work, a diligent worker will see this as an avenue to for self development and growth thereby adding value to the organisation.

I have seen a leader who celebrates small wins by publicly recognising the team who did the job with oral and written thank you note.

An example I have seen is when a new personnel is introduced in a work place with lots of ideas and insights at first people struggle to embrace the changes, later they manage to keep up but sustainability becomes an issue after a while especially when there is no effective follow through system.