How can you help your clients identify the root causes of change resistance?

The fear of change is real. People think about the uncertainty, what could happen, what they could lose, what if this, what if that... But rarely people think forward about what they lose if things DO NOT change. This is what I would first focus on: - What are your goals - What is the pain point currently - And what will happen 6 months from now, 1 year from now... if you do not change - And are you then happy with the outcome ? Instead of running towards change, it some time easier to run away from status quo.

A beautiful thing I learned recently is a proverb which says; "If it scares you, it means you MUST do it". It means it's important for you. If you're comfortable with a decision, it will not help you to grow. Change is essential in today's ever evolving world. If you don't grow whilst everything and everyone around you is growing, how can you excel in the future? How can you be the BEST version of yourself that you can be? Making the coachee realise this and getting them on board, is what will make them comfortable with change.

As usual, there are a lot of words and complicated contortions here. Let's make it very simple, as I always do :-) There are 2 root causes of change resistance: 1) people don't adhere to the WHY of change, and/or 2) people don't like the HOW of change. In the WHY, they don't see the benefit of changing, what it brings to them, or alternatively what they see of the change is a disadvantage to them. In the HOW, they don't like what it will take to change, either it's too much effort, it's too painful, or they have other better ideas in their mind. There's a counterintuitive saying which I very much like "People don't resist change, they resist changing!" - This is a case of resistance due to the HOW. An easy example is "weight loss"

Understanding the psychology of change resistance can be crucial in helping your clients identify the root causes of their resistance. It includes but not limited to: 1) Emotional Anxiety: Resistance to change often stems from emotional anxiety caused by the prospect of transformation. 2) Organizational Justice: The perception of fairness within an organization can significantly impact resistance to change. 3) Perceived Organizational Support: The level of support that employees feel they receive from their organization can influence their readiness for change.

In the Dragon Coaching House we work with the paradoxical theory of change, which is a Gestalt Therapy approach developed by A. Beisser. The most effective way of working with resistance is to allow space for it, to consciously heighten the awareness around the resistance, instead of trying to get rid of it. We support our clients in meeting that part of themselves, which is the source of the resistance and based on experience and theory, the source is usually an unmet need, or something which we try to protect from change. If we see it from different angles, change inevitably happens, and the coachee will know what is the right next step for them in that situation. It's challenging, but the process works all the time.

I have an exercise based on the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy where I ask my client to describe their thought, rank it on a scale from 1 to 10 and write down their 2 type of facts: 1. Facts supporting the thought 2. Facts not supporting the thought. And at the end of the exercise they have to rank that thought again. It’s striking to see in a matter of 5 minutes the results and the impact of this exercise.

Change resistance is in my experience driven by something a person is trying to protect. It doesn't have to be something which is sabotaging the change 'per se', but since it's an unmet need, a threatened value, an unrecognised boundary, it can act in a resisting way towards change. So what can you do? The best advice is to allow space for the resistance and approach it with curiosity instead of judgement. I think it's a big mistake to assume that change resistance is something negative, because that takes away the chance from a meaningful breakthrough, or a valuable new awareness which can help the coachee in their transformation process.

Belief is often a way to secure the mind from unknown. The open dialogue and progressive discovery of a new reality might be the most powerful tool to reduce the reduce the belief centric type of resistance. It takes some time but the investment will allow a group to go slow to go fast like we say.

Exploring the underlying beliefs and assumptions can be a powerful way to help your clients identify the root causes of change resistance. In my view, following big layers, should be carefully peeled off: 1) Descriptive Beliefs: These are the beliefs about how things are. It’s important to understand what your clients believe about the current situation and how they perceive the proposed change. This can be done through empowering questions. 2) Evaluative Beliefs: These are the beliefs about the value or worth of something. Understanding what your clients value can help you tailor the change initiative to align with these values. 3) Predictive Beliefs: These are the beliefs about the outcomes of certain actions.

Psychological safety is crucial at this stage and in corporate culture people usually operate with manipulative and political mindset and don’t show up their true selves until psychological safety is not there. It encourages open communication. It's vital for uncovering the true reasons behind resistance to change, creating an environment where employees feel safe to share concerns, ultimately addressing root causes effectively

1) Emotional intelligence is essential in coaching. When both parties have a high degree of self-awareness and self-regulation, communication flows smoothly, allowing coaching to be facilitated successfully. 2) Envisioning the Ideal Self: Client(s) are encouraged to envision an ideal self (who they wish to be and what they wish to do), explore the real self (not just the gaps they need to fill but the strengths that will help them do so), set a learning agenda, and then experiment with and practice new behaviors and roles. 3) Addressing Psychological Dynamics: There is a growing realization that insights from psychology can be used to better understand and improve communication skills, team dynamics, and leadership ability.

Many attitudes and behaviours come from habits. People have been reacting to the environment in a specific way and at some point, it worked. Until it didn't. They overdid it. But the message is ingrained in their minds and many struggle to see themselves in a different way. Using a metaphor to share your perspective in a way that is not threatening, and giving them a new metaphor, in a way that is helping them, that allows them to grow is useful. They can see in their minds first how they can be, and that is powerful.

I have a stock in my library, of my previous success stories, case studies, graphs and interesting facts. that hold a compelling vison for coachee. For almost all the common resistance issues I have a success story. It is also good idea to share an interesting outline of the action plan. While doing so use these points Use Exciting Words, Light up your face when sharing success stories Have an open body language Express in a from of movie how your previous clients have benefited. Give the before and after scenarios

Creating a compelling vision and plan for change can be a powerful way to address resistance to change. Here are some tips: a) Define the Vision: A vision can be defined as ‘a picture that brings to life an attractive future state for the organization or the outcome of a change’. This vision should be simple, clear, and easy to understand. It should look into the future and have both a descriptive and motivational role. b) Make it Aspirational and Inspirational: Use words that create vivid imagery and a compelling picture of the desired future. The vision should be aspirational and inspirational for employees. c) Communicate the Vision: The vision should be communicated and reinforced often.

Leaders are most of the time feeling the isolation generated by their function. Been able to share and discuss while keeping the individual responsible for their decision/ solution is a good way to help and this at all levels.

Providing support and accountability can be a powerful way to address resistance to change. Here are some strategies: 1) Lead by Example: Leaders should model the behaviors they want to see in their team. This includes embracing the change themselves and demonstrating accountability. 2) Discuss Accountability: It’s important to have open discussions about what accountability means in the context of the change. This can help everyone understand their roles and responsibilities. 3) Set Clear Expectations: Clearly communicate what is expected from each individual during the change process. This includes the behaviors they should exhibit, the tasks they need to complete, and the outcomes they should achieve.

Keep asking good questions. Keep listening. Stay wildly curious. Don't stop exploring until they are crying or smiling ear to ear. Let them know that their development is all that matters to you. Let them experience a truly powerful conversation, one they'll never forget.

Building Trust and Transparency: Building trust, transparency, and rapport are essential factors and skills in an effective coaching process.

I consider that there are other factors that can contribute in terms of mentality and change management: - Creating a safe environment where clients feel comfortable expressing their concerns and fears about change. - Encouraging self-reflection by asking powerful question to understand their own resistance to change. - Addressing communication gaps by exploring how information is shared, the clarity of the communication, and the level of involvement and engagement of employees in the change process. - Empowering ownership by involving them in decision-making and implementation. By uncovering the root causes of resistance, you can help your clients embrace change with confidence and resilience.

In my experience it is really working on the change mind-set. I have worked with 15 year old teenagers to 55 year old CEOs, 15 years have an immediate impact on the coaching, whereas a 55 year old CEO has lot of resistance here's what has worked for me: 1) Patience - I play on patience game, I give a lot of time to think, analyze, ask questions. 2) Lead by example to show them the concrete plan, a step by step execution. Work together toward change. This helps client see your efforts in to the mentoring. 3) Follow up - It is the most crucial part, the coach needs to be on toes and taking account of actions taken by coachee, this help build trust and make the coachee be accountable

To be honest, I don't think you always need to identify the root causes of change resistance. If you ask the question "what would it look like or feel like when it works out?", you will get to the more uplifting emotions . On the other hand when going back to the past and thinking about the emotions that come with "what if it's not going to work out" you will lose motivation. Focus the attention on moving forward and creating new behaviours will show that it doesn't matter what the root cause was.