Drive irresistible change experiences; avoid these 5 pitfalls

Imagine it's a bright Monday morning. You’ve just walked into your office, but from the moment you entered you feel a tension in the air. It’s the unmistakable Day after…

?Yesterday you announced the new strategy for the coming years. With some bold moves implementing the newest technology to stay ahead of the game and will free up time to be more innovative. On top of that you also see a growth opportunity.

A strategy everyone would be excited about. You think.

Instead, your inbox is filled with anxious messages—people are unsure about their roles in this evolving landscape. They already feel overwhelmed. New initiatives have piled up, with change after change, now this new strategy hovers over the organisation like a dark cloud.

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When you think this new strategy is not a big deal, you have to rethink.

Every new or redefined strategy, even when it’s just related to more technical projects or new tools and processes - has an impact on the people in your organisation and therefore involves change.

When change is announced, we human beings, leaders and employees, start to feel insecure, lost or disconnected. And we start to ask questions to understand what is in it for me? Mostly this results in 3 types of responses: we fight, fly or freeze

Often this is called: change resistance, change fatigue or unwillingness to change.

Read more about this in my article Rollercoaster of change?

Shift the lens

Instead of fighting this resistance, these responses and pushing things through, think of it as a great opportunity to learn. The way people respond to change gives you an amazing amount of information. Information, opinions, different views and perspective from people in your organisation, about for instance the current reality, needs of employees, needs customers, experiments that already exist.

It gives you information about how your organisation functions and helps to improve your new strategy. The only thing that you, as a leader of change, have to do, is to be open to listen to the voices of all people in the organsation and avoid some common pitfalls.

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From Big picture to making the changes stick

Last month, during Twinxter’s Change Accelerator series, we dove deep into exactly this topic: From exploring the big picture 360 transformation with Priscilla Dunant, we shifted the conversation to focus on leadership’s role in building a climate for change that people genuinely want to join. Last Friday we had some tough questions at the table on how to sustain transformation and make change stick. ?

Take a moment to reflect: Have you ever been in an organisation where a massive change was announced, and instead of energy and excitement, the room was filled with doubt and resistance? What did you do?

Let me take you on a journey through this concept, along with some real-world examples and the pitfalls you must avoid if you want to lead your teams through successful transformation.

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Pitfall 1: Focusing on the ‘What’ without the ‘Why’

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is jumping straight into the technical side of change—shuffling departments, adopting new tools—without addressing the human side. You’ve likely seen it before: employees are informed of the change, but not given a clear reason why it’s happening. The purpose behind it remains a mystery, and as a result, their engagement with the process is half-hearted at best.

?I remember a sunny morning, walking into my new job as a manager. The company was in the middle of a reorganisation. I had a meeting with the consultant leading the process, who proudly showed me a large drawing of the new structure. It was a big change—moving from decentralization to centralization, consolidating departments into one location. When I asked why this was a good idea, he casually replied, "Well, it's good to shake up your structure every three years or so. Keeps everyone on their toes." I nearly fell off my chair. No talk of the people involved, no consideration of what it would mean for employees now commuting several hours, or the impact on the customers. Have you ever experienced something similar? A change that seemed more about ticking boxes than truly thinking about the impact on the people involved.?

As leaders, we need to do better. People are not chess pieces. When they don’t understand the "why," they become disconnected, and their resistance only grows. Always connect the dots between the purpose of the change and its impact on your team’s daily lives.

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Pitfall 2: Overlooking Emotional Reactions

When change is announced, emotions run high. You’ve seen the looks on people’s faces, the tension in meetings. Some react with frustration, others with quiet disbelief. It's easy to forget that every change has an emotional impact. And if you don’t acknowledge it, the undercurrent of fear and frustration can derail even the best-laid plans.

Take the case of Tom, one of the employees during a restructuring I witnessed. The directors had just announced that his team would be relocated to headquarters—three hours away from his home. Tom stood up in the middle of the meeting and said, "It’s easy for you to talk. You’re already here. I’ll have to drive three hours a day. Did you even think about that?" His emotions echoed what many others were feeling, and in that moment, any hope for a smooth transition was lost.

?Ignoring emotional reactions is one of the most dangerous pitfalls in leading change. As leaders, we must create a space where people feel heard, respected, and understood. Empathy isn’t a weakness; it’s a critical part of driving transformation.

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Pitfall 3: Treating change like a One-Time Event

Another common mistake is treating change like a one-and-done deal. You announce it, implement it, and then expect people to move on. But real transformation is not a single event—it’s an ongoing process.?

Think about it like preparing for a journey. You pack the essentials, plan the route, and set off. But no matter how well-prepared you are, surprises always come up along the way. Obstacles, detours, and unforeseen challenges. The same is true for any change initiative. Leaders need to stay flexible, continuously adjust and support their teams as they navigate through the process.?

In one organisation I worked with, the leadership team rolled out visual management as part of their transformation without checking in on how the employees were adapting. A few months later, they realized that people were still clinging to old ways of working. O yes, they started to work with the new tool however they did not adjust their behaviour, way of collaborating and meeting. So the new tool was just a new tool not adding any value or progress for the teams.

Give everyone the time, space, or support to make the leap. Build feedback loops and regularly check-ins. Transformation requires sustained effort and leadership, not a quick fix.

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Pitfall 4: Ignoring the importance of a Strong Leadership Team

We often think that the systems or processes we implement are what make change successful. But in reality, it’s the strength of your leadership team that matters most. Without a unified and committed leadership team, your transformation will lose momentum. Leaders must be aligned, not just on strategy, but on purpose and values.

?I worked with an HR leadership team that was preparing to roll out a new strategy. They quickly realized that without a strong leadership team to guide the change, the ROI would be minimal. Instead of pushing ahead with the operating model, we paused to work on their team’s purpose. Who were they as a team? How could they act as one? By focusing on their internal alignment first, they were able to lead the transformation with clarity and conviction, supporting their people through every step.

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Pitfall 5: Not building Engagement across the organisation

Change can’t be something that happens to people; it must happen with them. Too often, change initiatives are delegated to a select few or a transformation team, hoping they’ll do the heavy lifting. But if you want lasting impact, you need engagement from every corner of your organisation.

The most successful transformations I’ve seen involve cross-functional teams, working in communities, that bring insights from all areas of the business. These teams act as orchestrators of change, creating a ripple effect of ownership and collaboration. When employees feel like active participants in the journey, the change becomes part of the organisation's DNA.

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Create irresistible change experiences

As modern leaders you have a crucial role to play in not just following a strategy and have teams working on projects. What if you shift that lens and start involving people from the beginning, to have the conversations about their views and perspectives. And that you collectively explore and define the new strategy develop inspiring change experiences, so everyone wants to join that journey to the future.

Are you ready to shift the lens from one way change projects towards creating irresistible change experiences? Experiences that people love to join?

Then I personally invite you to join our Change Accelerator and leave a stunning legacy. Don't wait any longer and co-create that future together - find the link here and register today

Now it's your turn – Did you recognize some of these pitfalls? What helps you to avoid or turn them into opportunities? share your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks for taking the time to read my article.

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I look forward to connecting with you and collaborate to shape a thriving future for all.

Have a great day!

Alize Hofmeester

My purpose to create space where everyone is able to thrive. Human-centric. Purpose-driven. Value-based

My mission to help leaders grow their change capabilities and drive experiences people ?? to be part of. Ready to level up your change efforts? Send me a DM - Let's talk