Rotman Management – April 2019

rotmanmagazine.ca / 97

status, or even their job; and fear of losing face and looking
incompetent. That typically shows up in people who have a
history of performance problems.
Mistrust is the other common root of negativity. In
times of change, you will often hear grumbling such as,
‘Management is always looking for ways to squeeze more
out of us’. Sometimes, the CAVE person is struggling with
issues at home or has other problems that affect his/her be-
haviour. These people may not even realize that they are be-
ing so negative and affecting their co-workers. As a result,
sometimes, just speaking frankly with the person will help.

Research indicates that employees who exhibit these
negative mindsets have four to seven times as much im-
pact as positive employees. Is this a losing battle?
Not at all. Many CAVE people act this way because of a
history of reinforcement. Over time, they learn that when
they speak out in resistance, a couple of things happen.
First, they get left alone. They aren’t asked to be on change
teams, which typically means extra work. Second, they learn
that they draw followers: Other employees pay attention to
them, and that lends credence to their negative talk. Once
we understand what is driving this behaviour, we can take
measures to change it.

You have found that sometimes, CAVE people are quiet
and do their damage behind the scenes. How can this be-
haviour be handled?
I suggest proactively talking to people, especially those on
the front lines and the supervisors and employees who will
be most affected by the pending change. Also, talk to HR
and bring groups of employees together for conversations
about change. Resisters will often make themselves known
in these forums — as will positive opinion leaders and early
adopters, who can help to counter the resistance.
A word of caution: Setting up dialogues needs to be
done with full transparency. It can’t come across as a ‘seek

and destroy’ mission to uncover troublemakers, or it will

wind up instilling fear and reinforcing mistrust in an al-

ready-nervous group of employees.

Have you ever seen a case where the CAVE person is a

widely respected high performer?

I’ve never run across a true CAVE person who is a high

performer — but I’m sure they exist. However, I have seen

plenty of high-performing individuals who are very nega-

tive about a specific impending change initiative. The best

way to approach them is with a frank and direct conversa-

tion. In my experience, their negativity usually comes from

damaged relationships, or the person has a difference of

opinion and feels like they haven’t been heard. In many

cases, their opinions are quite valid. The key is to learn why

the person is so against the change, and what you can glean

from that to approach the initiative in a more inclusive way

moving forward.

You have identified five behaviours that a leader can ex-

hibit to achieve more positive reactions to change. What

are they?

The most important thing is to be clear and unwavering

about expectations. People need to know that their negative

behaviour is not going to get them out of participating in the

change initiative. Second, listen to peoples’ concerns. Show

dissenters respect, and keep your own temper in check. By

listening, you may uncover the root of the problem and en-

able dissenters to push through to a more productive stance.

I would also say, always focus on the behaviour, not the

individual. Be very specific about the person’s words and

actions. For example, you could start by asking, ‘why is this

idea so bad?’ rather than, ‘why are you being so disruptive?’

Using such labels can feel like an accusation and sets the

stage for an argument.

If you are unable to come to a solution through dia-

logue, I suggest acting very quickly and moving the person to

CAVE people may not even realize that they are being

negative and affecting their co-workers.