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Lean Training System Companion Article

8 Reasons People Resist Change


By Jeff Hajek, Founder of Velaction
The Lean Training System is our extensive solution to continuous
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Improvement, by definition, requires altering behaviors. And
Please do not
since most people show a reluctance to change, it follows that modify this
improvement efforts can be an uphill battle. document or
post it on a
Let’s start by addressing 8 of the major reasons why people website or
resist change. network
location.
1. Fear. By far the biggest reason for resistance to
change, fear creates paralysis. People get worried that
the new way won’t work, that they will not do well
following the modified process, or that it will mean
having to change to another job within the company.
Worst of all, they fear layoffs.

2. Comfort. When people have it good, they are reluctant to


give that up. This is most common when an
improvement effort in one area requires additional work
in another area. For example, let’s assume area ‘A’ can
save 10 minutes by moving 5 minutes of work to area ‘B’.
The employees in area ‘B’ are likely to be less than
thrilled by the change, especially if things were humming
along smoothly for them.

3. Not perceiving a need. When things are going well,


there is often little thought of the challenge or threat
down the road. It is hard to rally the troops when there is
no crisis.

Copyright © 2012, Velaction Continuous Improvement, LLC. All rights reserved. Use of the information in this
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See our extensive list of articles at www.GottaGoLean.com

4. No faith in the process. As powerful as


Lean is, if employees have had a bad
experience with it, or have no
background in it, they will be unlikely to
throw their support behind it.

5. Lack of knowledge. People don’t want


to feel helpless. If they think that the
change will make them a novice again,
they won’t want to move in that
direction.

6. Lack of trust. Team members have to trust their guides


when trying something new. If they don’t have that bond
with their leaders, they won’t want to follow their
managers forward.

7. Heavy-handedness by leaders. Making changes is


difficult. When teams are moving cautiously, leaders can
make matters worse by pushing too hard. People have to
be led into change, not forced into it.

8. Personal preference. Some people have a personal style


that makes it hard for them to accept change. This is
basically the ‘other’ category of resistance. Some people
just like things the way they are.

So given that there is a lot of variety in why people resist


change, it follows that there are many things that leaders must
do to prepare their teams for transition.

The first is that leaders should know the people working for
them. That means frequently visiting work areas to talk to their
employees one-on-one. It is surprising how often key leaders
don’t spend time speaking with people beyond their direct
reports.

When leaders know how their teams think, they can customize
a change management plan that matches the culture of the
organization. There are a few universal steps, though, that
leaders should always take.

2 | 8 REASONS PEOPLE RESIST CHANGE


Velaction Continuous Improvement

1. Communicate. This means clearly spelling out the need


for change, and it means explaining where the
organization is going. A word of caution to leaders: Be
direct and honest. Not every decision is going to benefit
employees as much as other stakeholders. Employees
are smart and will see through efforts to repackage
unpopular decisions in a favorable light.

2. Train. Give employees the tools to feel comfortable with


change. Teams have to be confident that they have the
necessary skills as a group to handle any challenges that
come up.

3. Demonstrate success. Teams won’t want to make


wholesale changes without proof. They need to see some
examples of success early on in the transition before they
will fully support a new method.

4. Involve teams in decision making. Give teams a voice.


When they are heard, they will be more likely to get on
board. There is a pitfall here, though, if employees start
to see this as mere lip service. Leaders have to use
employee suggestions at least some of the time. More of
the time is even better.

5. Communicate more. Leaders should find out how the


change is going, but more importantly, they should be
looking for the hidden, unmet needs of their teams.
Often, the stated reasons for resistance to change are not
the real ones.

If those steps above don’t work, there is some soul searching


ahead. As a last resort, people and companies have to decide if
they are a good match for each other. No matter how good a job
is, or how talented an individual is, if the cultural match is
missing, it is going to be a long bumpy ride.

3 | GOTTA GO LEAN BLOG | © 2012. Velaction Continuous Improvement, LLC


See our extensive list of articles at www.GottaGoLean.com

About Velaction Continuous Improvement


Velaction Continuous Improvement is focused on helping
leaders develop the systems companies need to make frontline
improvement efforts more successful. Visit our website to see
how our extensive line of products and services can help speed
up the pace of improvement in your organization.

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About Jeff Hajek


Jeff Hajek is a master black belt, the author of
the award-winning book, Whaddaya Mean I
Gotta Be Lean?, and the founder of Velaction
Continuous Improvement. He has over two
decades of leadership and Lean experience, which
he blogs about at www.GottaGoLean.com

Jeff has worked in a wide variety of roles and


industries. His broad experience and extensive contact
with frontline employees gives him a unique perspective
that helps him create grassroots support for a
company's improvement initiatives.

Help Us Improve
Please help us improve the quality of our products. If
you find any typos, errors, or if you have any
suggestions about information to add, please contact us
at Info@Velaction.com.

Contact Information
Velaction Continuous Improvement, LLC
P.O. Box 14700
Mill Creek, WA 98082
1. 800.670.5805
1.425.939.1604 (Fax)
Info@Velaction.com

4 | 8 REASONS PEOPLE RESIST CHANGE

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