Reframing Resistance to Change as a Systems Error

A few days ago, I led a workshop for a group of managers who were leading cross-functional change within their organizations. Inevitably the topic of resistance came up. "Why are others not doing what we need them to do?" It's a normal question to ask when you've worked so hard on solving a specific issue that you know so deeply. The problem with how the question is usually asked is that it can be fraught with the personal and frustration. A former brilliant and empathetic colleague used to say "No one works 8-10 hours a week wanting to be bad at their job." So what if we reframed resistance as systems failure and not a moral failing?

Identifying what type or resistance you are facing can help you to figure out a targeted path forward with your team by your side. A few questions to consider:

• Do folks actually know what to do? Sometimes resistance is actually a lack of clarity. This happens sometimes with the use of jargon (collaborate! innovate) instead of concrete behaviors and actions we want folks to take. And when we are vague we privilege people who think like us. For example reframe "Be inclusive!" to "Ensure that any decision is based on multiple stakeholders' experiences."
• Do folks care? This one can be hard in a mission driven organization because yes, folks care about the mission. But why should they care about what you are trying to do? How are you painting the picture of the impact you want to have? One leader shared a really powerful example of this in action. They were working on equipping staff to use asset-based language about students. One way they made this connection was having actual pictures of their students up in the room. "What kind of words would we say to our students?" This took the initiative from yet another thing to do to a true rallying cry for the team.
• Are systems and space set up to facilitate action? Too often we are not aware of the friction that can exist within an organization. Are processes overly clunky? Years ago I was working with an emerging leader who was trying to make the teacher work space a clean and welcoming space, and support everyone feel that responsibility. As we walked through the space, I asked where the Clorox Wipes were. "Down the hall in the closet." If we want folks to do something, we've got to make it easy for them to do it. Think of Amazon's one-click payment- they make it very easy for us to give them our money. How do we apply that same principle?
• Are there processes and plans to support people, gauge progress and course correct? As a very smart friend noted, sometimes resistance is just fear. With change comes a new way of operating and that can be scary. It can also feel overwhelming. Instead, listen to what folks are scared about. Besides being an excellent way to stress-test your plans, it also helps you to understand the training and support folks may need and what unintended consequences you need to monitor.

Diagnosing the situation is your first step and hopefully the questions above can help you think a bit differently about the change you are trying to lead. But more importantly, asking these questions to your team can not only get you clarity but also reframes change from an us versus them perspective to that of we.

If you are interested in the Leading CrossFunctional Change Workshop and Facilitation for your teams, let's talk.