Leadership in today's fast-paced world likely involves multiple teams changing initiatives. You may doubt if your efforts will eventually pay off. It's not just you. Compared to 2016, when the average employee went through two company moves, that number increased to ten in 2022. Worse, support for these measures has plummeted from 76% to 44% in the same time frame. Question: What's wrong? How can we overcome the employees’ reluctance to change?

As per Corporate Leadership Training programs, modern organizational transformation advisors focus on what leaders should do rather than why individuals oppose change. Extensive research done on this subject shows that people reject changes due to the uncertainty caused by it, rather than for change itself. Neurosciences indicates that our brains experience uncertainty as a physical discomfort and automatically avoid it. So, to address this problem, we must first address the typical queries from the employees and try to eliminate ambiguity and aversion to change. We have put forward some of the most common questions that are heard from thousands of employees going through transition. Your response can make or break your transformation.

Here are some common concerns because of which the employees resist change.

When it comes to embracing organizational changes, employees may be resistant due to the false impression that they have more work to do. They may experience negative emotions like anger or worry if they perceive the additional tasks as interfering with their productivity. They will respond much more strongly if they think the changes will have no positive impact. It is borne out by a meta-analysis of 132 research on responses to organizational change, which indicates that many individuals fight change because they perceive it as adding more work to their already heavy workload. Recognizing this worry and having an open conversation about it with your team are crucial leadership duties. Talk openly about the benefits and drawbacks of your team temporarily taking on more work. Give an honest account of the changes that have taken place. Provide your team with resources to help them prioritize or deal with the additional workload. Motivate them to concentrate on things that will have a significant influence. 

As per the Best Leadership Training Programs, organizations often resort to intentionally inciting fears of job loss in order to coerce people into conforming during times of transition. The problem is that strategy not only fails but actively encourages opposition.

 Job insecurity is a normal reaction to any change, but notably to a reorganization. Adding fuel to the fire of those worries will only serve to heighten resistance, leading to an inevitable vicious circle. Job insecurity is associated with rule-breaking and poor performance, according to various research. As a result, while things are changing, it is essential to convince your staff that they will still have jobs. Make sure everyone is on the same page regarding how the change will influence their responsibilities, and be forthright about which roles will be suffering as a result. Also, make sure people have resources they can lean on in times of need. The change will go more smoothly for everyone if we use this strategy. 

Workers fight change for a variety of reasons, but one of the most common is the anxiety it causes them to feel like they are gradually losing command of their job. When there is a lack of control over working conditions, along with a rise in the demand for workers, it can cause resistance and even health problems on the job. Employees who perform really well and take pride in their work may find this loss of independence and control especially challenging. After all, as things change, new systems, procedures, or ways of working may emerge, which could test the mettle of your staff. Motivating and involving your staff is crucial in this situation. Ask for their opinion and consider their suggestions. Trust them with responsibility and decision-making power in their domains so they can contribute to the transformation endeavor. This way, they will still have some say over how they get their job done.

Please stop and think about your team's point of view the next time you want to force them to change more forcefully. According to Best Leadership Development Programs, you should find out what kinds of doubts are bubbling up in their heads. Keep in mind that people typically fight change not because of the change itself but because of the uncertainty and uneasiness that it often brings.