The Five Biggest Mistakes Executives Make

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The Five Biggest Mistakes Executives Make in Change Inititiatives
by Terri A. Deems, PhD

Is "resistance" a natural part of change?

Sure, it happens. Sometimes.

But that's not the same as saying it's a natural part of the change process. We've learned that when leaders expect resistance, that's what they get — most often because of some common mistakes leaders have made.

If it's resistance you want, here are ways to guarantee that's what you'll get:

Make decisions in isolation. Work in secrecy and exclude others from the change decision, and sure enough many people will dig in their heels. Especially if the change directly impacts their work.

When decisions are made behind closed doors you foster feelings of anger, helplessness, and cynicism instead of the solidarity necessary to make change work. But secrecy is easier: afterall, you won't have to answer questions, engage in conflict, or hear evidence about why this won't work.

Be stingy with information. Want to really crank up that old rumor mill? Then withhold information — at any point in the change process. The rumors will run wild, confusion and fear will flow underground, and eventually you'll begin seeing some very concrete signs of the "resistance movement."

Information-sharing and open book management will encourage questions, critique, and conflict (as well as knowledge, understanding, and energy). Such engagement from people will simply slow down the whole process, and who wants to be bothered with that?

Keep communication impersonal. If you must communicate, use memos. Or e-mail. Or have someone else deliver your message. Keep the communication impersonal and objective, free of emotion and real connection with others.

This reduces the risk of authentic face-to-face dialogue, and makes it easier to treat people as objects to be acted upon.

Act as though people all respond to change the same way. In this way, you can reduce your training costs. Find a one-size-fits-all program and plug it into place.

Remember: recognizing the diversity of response to change would mean having to know people well enough that you understand what will help them be most effective and make change work. That's much too personal.

Tell people how stressful the change process will be. Reinforce that message by having everyone participate in stress workshops.

There's an old saying, that we manifest in our lives what we hold in our minds. Focusing on stress rather than on the vision will ensure that the change comes about with the level of stress and resistance you believe it deserves!

These are just a few of the steps you can take to prove the resistance-mongers right — and keep you busy putting out the fires once you've lit the flame.

But maybe you're one of those few who have learned that resistance is not an inherent part of change, but more often a symptom of other things. In which case, none of this is news to you: you are probably already using "management by common sense" and reaping the rewards of a dynamic, vital workforce that absorbs and embraces change!

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