Recognizing Resistance

While our first reaction to resistance to change may be to quash it as quickly as possible, resistance is not necessarily all bad. Any change brings resistance with it, whether the change is positive or negative—so it’s unrealistic to think you will ever eliminate resistance. Resistance is inevitable, even when the change is positive and will make the lives of individuals brighter. When brought out into the open, resistance can help us surface problems, find errors, or improve on ideas. But resistance can only be managed when it is overt. If you can’t see it or hear it, you can’t manage it.

Not following through on commitments is a form of resistance. You can probably see clearly how this resistance might sabotage your efforts toward your goal.

Our resistance is brilliant. It continually takes new and different forms and is quite good at disguising itself and finding new ways to outsmart us.

Resistance will keep us from achieving what we want and need. Worse than that, resistance has the power to sending us and our businesses careening in exactly the opposite direction.

Whether you are a leader in an organization or in your own life, anytime you find yourself in a change situation, you will find resistance. If you don't, you are not looking hard enough. It is the way of things. You will resist. Your staff will resist. Your boss will resist. Your clients will resist. Potential employers will resist. Your family will resist. The higher the stakes, the more resistance you will find.

If we are not aware that resistance is at work, resistance wins. Your only hope of overcoming resistance is to expect it. But even that isn't enough. You also have to value it and embrace it. You have to work with your resistance, not against it.

You have to get intimate with resistance. And that starts with recognizing it. Here's what you want to look for:

Obvious resistance is easy to spot:

Refusal

Arguing

Disruptive behavior

The most powerful forms of resistance are usually much more subtle:

Anger

Becoming very busy with something else

Bringing up other issues

Compulsively checking your BlackBerry or iPhone

Confusion

Criticism

Feigning acceptance, without asking necessary questions or working out the details

Finding reasons to be removed from the task

Frustration

Getting distracted and not completing

Getting sick

Irritation

Not being available

Not getting started

Offering misleading information

Silence

Surfing the web

Oh yeah, and forgetting.

Which of these do you do?

Which do you see the people you work with doing?

Which do you see in your clients?

Start noticing the signs of resistance in you and the people around you.

Remember resistance is very creative.

Snow Ball Effect

In many ways, the first small steps you take to change your behavior are the most important. Once you initiate change, it seems to feed on itself, as two psychological triggers are at work:

a.    More exposure effect: The more you are exposed to something, the more you like it. Initially unwelcome change efforts will gradually be perceived more favorably as people get used to them.

b.    Cognitive dissonance: Once people take small steps, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to dislike how they act. We don’t like to act in one way and think in another. And once we begin to behave differently, our self-perception changes and our identity evolves, which reinforces our new approach.

This is what is called ‘the snowball effect’. Changes just seem to take off. They are the result of “small wins” but, not always. Rather, they are automatic forces that kick in as time passes.

It’s therefore essential to start as soon as possible and take advantage of the momentum.

While inertia and the status quo may exert an irresistible pull, at this point you need to muster the courage and just do it. Just get it started.

Ah, yes, but that’s the problem, isn’t it? The status quo feels comfortable and steady because much of our thinking is on autopilot. Routines feel good to us because it frees up our brain for other things, especially creative thinking.

What really helps me to get started when I want to change a behavior is to become aware of how much I am on autopilot. Having routines can be a time-saver since we don’t have to make choices, we just do it. But it’s also what creates rut and stagnation.

It actually irks me to be a slave to my habits (just the ones I don’t like). I tell myself, “Who’s in charge here, the autopilot or me?” If I am more powerful than that, I will actually feel energized by breaking the routine to do something new.

Your first attempt doesn’t have to be perfect or complete. At some point, inertia will shift from resisting change to supporting it, and small changes will snowball into big changes.

But it’s that first effort to say, “No, I am not going to eat that over sized portion on my plate,” that builds the momentum. At the next meal, you become aware of how restaurants over serve their portions (here in the USA), and you start cutting down meal sizes.

·        It’s that first time you respond with a smile to someone who pushes your buttons.

·        It’s when you stop yourself from explaining everything and ask a question instead.

·        It’s when you stop telling yourself you are tired and start asking how you can re-energize your tasks.

When I stop looking for how I can cut corners and make my work flow a routine, and start looking for creative ways to make a difference in the world, then I become more of a change agent.

It starts with the first snowball, and I am the one who has to set it in motion. Then it becomes fun to watch it grow and gather momentum.

What has been your experience when you want to change something?

Fight the Fear of Change

We are all naturally apprehensive about change. We fear the unknown. Most people are reluctant to take risks. This can be particularly true in a successful business. Success can be an enemy of innovation. Why mess with a model that works? There is little incentive to take risks and try new things. But even successful companies are at risk if they stand still. Smith Corona was very successful making typewriters but the technology of personal computers and the innovation of word processors proved too fatal to its business. Polaroid Corporation was a leader in instant photography but digital camera technology dealt it a serious blow and pushed it into Chapter 11.

Overcoming the fear of change is vital for business leaders. They will need to take this issue head-on. They must engage their teams in a dialogue and discuss the risks and benefits of standing still or of innovating. Some of the types of messages are, for example:

*  We must fight the risk of complacency

*  We are doing well right now but we need to do better.

*  There is a risk in innovating but there is a bigger risk in not doing anything.

*  If we don’t find new ways to reach and delight our customers then others will do it for us.

*  Change can be a big positive for us if we can drive it in the direction we want.

Leaders must promote a dialogue where, in addition to communicating these messages, they must listen to their team’s concerns and solicit their input. You can even turn negative people around by asking for their views on how to make things better. When asked, they will often volunteer great ideas for how we can make the change a big success.

Here are some tools you can use in the battle to win the hearts and minds of your teams:

*  Stories about companies that focused on what they did well and who missed the next big wave.

*  Praise for risk-takers and entrepreneurs within the business who have helped to drive change – successfully or unsuccessfully.

*  Examples of how we won business by doing something new.

*  Examples of how we lost business to more innovative competitors.

Innovation involves taking risks, changing things that work and coping with failures. Many people find it an uncomfortable journey. It can be a very bumpy ride but the alternative is to stay in the same place and slowly wither.

Moral of the story

Innovative leaders constantly evangelize the need for change. They replace the comfort of complacency with the hunger of ambition. They say, “We are doing well but we cannot rest on our successes – we need to do even better.” They explain that while trying new ventures is risky, standing still is even riskier. They must paint a picture that shows an appealing future that is worth taking risks to achieve. The prospect involves perils and opportunities. The only way we can get there is by embracing change.

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.

Bad Attitudes can lead to Good Innovation - so hire some rebels!

How can you build a team that is innovative, dynamic and capable of finding breakthroughs for tough problems? How can you avoid repeating dreary routines and find sparkling new ideas instead? One way is to make sure that among your solid citizens you have a good sprinkling of rebels.

The bad attitudes that we see manifested in so many ways in our society really have some upsides. Do we benefit from rebellious employees who challenge assumptions and rudely assert a different point of view? Should we seek to employ more people who are unruly and disrespectful?

What we need is not a lack of respect but a lack of deference. In the modern innovative organization, leaders need to earn the respect of their employees because of the values they stand for and not because of their position in the hierarchy. A lack of deference should be encouraged so that anyone can challenge anyone else’s ideas regardless of their status.

Dissatisfaction with the status quo 

"Innovation comes from angry and driven people," says Tom Peters, business author and speaker. The innovator is not happy with his lot. He is impatient for change. And this can be a problem for successful companies. The natural satisfaction that people derive from success can lead to complacency, which is the enemy of innovation. This is why the innovative leader always engenders a healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo. It is all very well telling shareholders that the company is making steady and satisfactory progress but the internal message needs more of an edge. "We are doing well but there is much more to be done. We cannot afford to rest on our laurels."

Often the innovator has to be obsessive to the point of apparent irrationality in pursuit of their dream. They appear insubordinate in opposing convention. James Dyson (best known as the inventor of the Dual Cyclone bag-less vacuum cleaner, which works on cyclonic separation), Richard Branson (a British industrialist, best known for his Virgin brand of over 360 companies) and Stelios Haji-Ioannou (a Greek Cypriot entrepreneur best known for setting up EasyJet, a low-cost airline)  were all seen as obstinate, angry rebels before they achieved the success that changed their status to visionaries. You have probably seen it yourself – the programmer with the worst attitude is the one who produces the most brilliant code.

Channeling the energy of mavericks

How can you harness the energy of your mavericks? How can you turn negative energy into positive? The answer is to throw down a challenge. Rebels can be very critical so turn the situation around and ask them how they would do things better. Don’t get into an argument with them. Take their ideas on board. Praise them for good proposals. Encourage them to find new and better ways to do things. Thank them for their criticisms but insist that they make positive suggestions too.

Rebels can achieve amazing things. In 1994 John Patrick and David Grossman were determined to galvanize the lumbering giant IBM into a response to the opportunity of the internet. Initially IBM, with its investment in mainframe computers and corporate systems failed to see that the internet was going to revolutionize their world. In this respect they were in good company – even Microsoft missed the importance of the internet at first. Patrick and Grossman saw that here was a trend that their employers could not afford to miss so they launched a subversive internal campaign. They found a network of enthusiasts and activists. They launched a ‘manifesto’ and circulated it by email. They gave demonstrations of the internet’s capabilities to senior executives. They took risks, broke the rules and exceeded their authority. Eventually their pleas were heard, the super tanker turned and IBM became leaders in e-commerce and web services.

When you interview candidates don’t fall into the trap of liking those that respectfully agree with you. Recruit someone with attitude, someone who is prepared to disagree with you and challenge your views. Give candidates hypothetical problems and see if they come up with inventive ideas or routine answers. Look for people with unusual interests and hobbies. Creative people do creative things in their spare time. Bland people watch TV.

Conclusion

Every revolution starts with a rebel. So if you want innovators in your team, look for people with some particular bad attitudes – the ones with rebellious, contrary and divergent views. These are people who some might label as troublemakers. They are not negative or cynical – on the contrary they are passionate about their ideas. They do not defer to authority, they are dissatisfied with the status quo, they are impatient for change and they are angry about the obstacles put in their way. With a profile like that they should certainly stand out from the crowd!

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Surya M Ganduri, PhD. PMP. is the founder and president of eMBC, Inc., an international firm specializing in strategic and executive leadership development processes that Help People Succeed in an Evolving World. His company is affiliated with Resource Associates Corporation, a network of 600+ associates that are dedicated to helping organizations and individuals manage strategic change, innovation, cultural transition, and goal achievement. Surya has over 26 years of business experience in management consulting, leadership development, executive coaching, process improvements, organizational development and youth leadership. Contact Surya at s6ganduri@eMBCinc.com. For more information, visit www.eMBCinc.com or contact eMBC, Inc., directly at (630) 445-1321.