Obstacles and Resistance to Change

When we hear the word change, we automatically feel the fear.

We are hardwired to resist change. Part of the brain—the amygdala—interprets change as a threat and releases the hormones for fear, fight, or flight. Your body is actually protecting you from change. That is the scientific approach to change, so how we can tailor change and bring it at ease for everyone.

Organizational change is part of the evolution and those companies that have been reluctant to adapt the change has been kicked out of the competition and sometimes out of the market. Thus, it is important to understand change and act in a fast and proper way to the environment.

A study done by Ian Smith in 2005 revels that if understood and dealt with effectively; change resistance may also form a constructive part of the process of organizational change management.

Therefore, it is important to clearly understand the reasons underlying change resistance to propose appropriate and effective responses.

In this regard, bringing change is about creating the right environment where people can feel comfortable with the uncertainties, thus communicating effectively and listening to employees concerns would be the cornerstone of successful change. What would make it even better is to implement change is several stages.

Leaders and managers have a main role and should take the lead in embracing change and becoming role models to influence others on how to perceive the change.

To end up with, in my own opinion we can be better prepared to change if we nurture a growth mindset culture at work, and this can be established through subjecting employees to new exposure. This process is not an easy task and it requires a lot of investment in human development, yet the simplest that can be done is to engage employees through corporate social responsibility initiatives and that can open their horizon to new aspects and possibilities.