For change practitioners, a practical guide for understanding and managing resistance to change.

1. Prosci Community of
Practice Webinars
Resistance to
change
Presented by
Catherine Smithson
October 2015

2. Introducing Being Human
• Founded in 1993
• Our mission: develop
change-capable
people and
organisations so they
achieve the benefits of
change.
• Exclusive Prosci
Primary Affiliate
Australia and New
Zealand.
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3. Prosci by the numbers
• 1994 – Founded in Loveland
(Denver) Colorado, USA
• 8 global Benchmarking
Reports
• 16 years of longitudinal
research
• 3,400+ research participants
• 63 countries
• 80% Fortune 500 companies
• 30,000+ Certified practitioners
worldwide
• 4,000+ Certified practitioners
Australia/New Zealand
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4. Agenda
• Quotable quotes
• Reality check
• The risks of resistance
• The rewards of resistance
• Prosci Best Practices
Research update
• Top 5 tips
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5. Quoteable quotes
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“People don't resist change. They
resist being changed.”
Peter M. Senge
To fly we have to have
resistance. Maya Lin
Paralyze resistance with
persistence. Woody Hayes
Change has its enemies.
Robert Kennedy
Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at
the same time; what we really want is for things
to remain the same but get better.
~Sydney J. Harris
New ideas pass through three periods:
• It can’t be done.
• It probably can be done, but it’s not worth doing.
• I knew it was a good idea all along.’
Arthur C. Clarke

6. Reality check
• Who can resist change?
• Team members
• Managers
• Senior Executives and
Sponsors
• Project managers and
teams
• SMEs
• Customers and Suppliers
• Anyone!
• Can occur at any stage of
the process of individual
change – see Prosci
ADKAR Model
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7. Prosci
®
ADKAR
®
Model
The five building blocks for successful change
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Awareness
Desire
Knowledge
Ability
Reinforcement®
© Prosci Inc. All rights reserved www.change-management.com

8. The risks of resistance
• Impact on BAU - Lost
productivity, increased
absenteeism, increased staff
turnover – others?
• Reduced input in solution
design - flaws, issues not
addressed
• Project delays, disruptions,
derailments - all impact ROI
and benefits Impact on end
user adoption and usage of
the change and the benefits
realised
• Others?
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9. Research update
Prosci 2014 Best Practices in Change Management
Benchmarking Report
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Managers are cited
as the most resistant
group to change,
ahead of front line
employees
About 50% of
resistance could
have been
avoided
Primary Reasons Why Managers
Resist Change
1. Lack of awareness and
involvement
2. Loss of control or negative
impact on current job role
3. Increased workload and lack
of time
Primary Reasons Why
Employee Resist Change
1. Lack of awareness
2. Impact on current job role
3. Organisation’s past
performance with change
How to identify:
1. Behaviour shows lack of
adoption or buy in
2. Use feedback tools
3. Seek feedback via formal
and informal channels
4. Conduct meetings, interview
etc
5. Define resistance
behaviours and monitor
Using fear or pain
to manage change
is not sustainable
2014 Best Practices in Change Management Report.
822 participants in 63 countries. Prosci copyright 2013.

10. The rewards of resistance
• Source of information about
where people are in the
change process and what they
need to progress
• Indicates energy – maybe
negative! – that can be tapped
into
• Early warning system of what’s
been skipped or overlooked
• Provides clues to how to
engage people in the change
• Can help “sell” Change
Management to Sponsors and
Project Managers & Teams –
good entry point
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11. High gain questions to ask Sponsor and
Project Manager
• What percentage of the expected benefits are dependent
on people adopting and using this change – ie changing
the way they do their jobs?
• 0 – 24%
• 25 – 49%
• 50 – 74%
• 75 – 100?
• Which individuals and groups are most critical to adopt
and use the change and deliver benefits?
• What are the likely areas of resistance in these groups?
• How can we use Change Management to “design” out this
resistance or mitigate it?
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12. Top 5 tips
1. Make sure the right person manages resistance
• Generally the person’s direct manager
• Does the manager know this is his/her role?
2. Use Prosci Manager Competency Assessment
• Ask managers to self assess and discuss their current engagement in the
change and possible reasons for their own resistance
• Then extend to assessing their teams
3. Coach managers to listen to team members - not jump into
solution mode
• Listening without “fixing” may uncover the underlying reasons
• Can uncover myths or misunderstandings
• Focus should be on empowering employee to find their way to understand and
accept the change
• Sometimes employees have valid concerns that need to go to the project team
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13. Top 5 tips
4. Use choices and consequences tactic (from Prosci
Managers Guide to Change Management)
• Gives people choice
• Make sure you can deliver the consequences!
5. Little or no WIIFM
• Resist temptation to spin or sell the change
• Be factual and direct
• Communicate the organisation’s reasons for the change and where
benefits will be realised
• Focus on the choice we have about HOW we implement it and what
we end up with
• Redundancies – focus on making the process professional and
respectful
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14. More info
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