Handling emotions and resistance
Work with resistant, not against it!
Most people react to change emotionally and resist it
Reasons: fundamental change processes affect the basic needs of employees
- regognition and esteem
- security
- stability and safety
- work that makes sense
- possibility of proposing and experiencing one's own idea
- possibility of living up to one's own image
The connected emotions create opposition to the change
Four basic principles could be applied to handle emotions and resistance:
1. There are no change without resistance
if there is no sign of resistance during change, then nobody believes that it will ever take place
therefore: it is not resistance, but the lack thereof that should be the cause for concern
2. Work with resistance, not against it
take off pressure: give resistance some room
put feelers out: enter into dialogue, look for causes
3. Trust, fairness and security are the decisive values that break down resistance
the reasons behind resistance are emotional
resistance always includes a coded message
4. Re-negociate the "psychological contract"
increase pressure will only lead to more counter-pressure
include time-to-think go over it all again
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Source: G. Müller-Stewens / Ch. Lechner
