Methods for Overcoming Resistance to Change

2275 Words10 Pages
Introduction Change is necessary and inevitable. The nature of the workforce (aging population), technology (widespread automated and computerized systems), economic shocks (record of low interest rates), competition (mergers and consolidations), social trends (retirement of Baby Boomers) and world politics (opening of markets in China) are all forces of change in today’s world1. Individuals and organizations strive to adapt to the ever-changing environment for survival. To remain competitive in the workforce, an individual might need to continuously improve his or her skills and knowledge by taking part-time studies. To maximize profitability among competitors, an organization might need to realign its business lines by centralization or outsourcing. Wherever there is change, there is resistance. Resistance to change stems from human characteristics such as perceptions, personalities and needs. Change can be frustrating if it is perceived as disruption to routines or status quos. This is threatening because it creates a fear of the unknown future as well as failures. Change can also be annoying if someone else is trying to tell us how to do our job better when the existing way of doing business may have suited us just fine. To effectively and efficiently implement change, it is therefore important to understand the reasons why individuals resist change. I will briefly describe the four common reasons for resistance to change and then discuss methods for overcoming resistance to change2. Reasons for resistance to change Resistance to change is a reaction. Change can be either good or bad depending on who is being affected by it and what its impact is. A promotion is generally considered positive and this kind of change is therefore good. Imagine an employee who is satisfied with his or her existing position as a documentation specialist and has no
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