5.9
SURFACING AND DEALING WITH RESISTANCE
Inspired by Peter Block.Resistance: a strange, loaded word with negative and emotional baggage. But resistance is,
believe it or not, a completely natural human experience. Resistance is how we protect our-
selves from being had. When presented with significant change, most people think of the rea-
sons why this new idea won’t work. It’s pretty natural to want to stay in and defend the status
quo, even when the current way of doing things isn’t working very well. As change agents,
leaders need to understand and deal early with resistance, be it direct or indirect. It doesn’t go
away until you deal with it honestly. This tool will help you do that.
Resistance can often be positive, in the sense that:
- You know your request has been heard and people are perhaps striving to understand
how to make it work without upsetting their environment too much; or - It may represent a legitimate commitment to another alternative or to a different way
of thinking.
However, indirect resistance is often camouflaged, and can look like a sincere response.
Only when resistance is direct, sincere, and in the open does it become possible to discuss and
deal with real concerns.
Here are some common examples of behaviors that could be either sincere responses or
forms of indirectresistance.
Leaders need to know how to surface indirect resistance and turn it into direct resistance.
Begin by notassuming or mind reading. You could be wrong! What looks like resistance could
be a genuine request or comment. Use the process known as the “two good-faith responses
technique” to surface indirect resistance:
SECTION 5 TOOLS FORLEADINGCHANGE 163
- People tell you their real concerns, and how they
feel, openly and honestly. - They maintain eye contact and use “I” statements.
(Pay attention to cultural differences.) - Bluntness may feel hurtful at the time, but is actually
the more honest and easier form of resistance to deal
with. - You know exactly where you stand; the issue is clear.
▼ - Leads to honest negotiation or conflict resolution.
- You can put your energy into the real issue.
- People ask for more and more detail, endlessly ques-
tioning. - They are not able to find a good time to implement,
or continually assert a rigid timetable. - They intellectualize, debate definitions and concepts,
or talk in apparently rational terms, but not about
the real concerns. - They decide “The problem has gone away,” or press
for solutions too soon. - They say someone else is the problem, using third-
party language: weor theystatements.
- People ask for more and more detail, endlessly ques-
- You have a gut feeling that something’s wrong.
- You don’t know where you stand.
▼
- Leads to misdirected energy and frustration.
- You will be led to put energy into side issues.
Signs of direct resistance Signs of indirect resistance