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Phil Kilburn

3 min read

From Pushback to Progress: A Change Leader’s Guide to Managing Resistance

Resistance to change is a natural human reaction rooted in uncertainty, perceived threats, or a lack of understanding about the reasons behind the change.

Research findings list it as one of the major factors in organisational change failure, which it most definitely will be if not addressed. It doesn’t have to be this way though.

Instead of viewing it as an obstacle to be defeated, what if we could frame it as a valuable signal indicating that employees are engaged and have concerns that are worthy exploring?

This mindset-shift to view resistance as an opportunity to listen, learn and understand can be a gamechanger bringing people along on the change journey and improving change outcomes.

In reality, the question for Change Leaders is not if resistance will occur but rather how well-prepared the organisation is to manage it and use it to improve outcomes.

Why Do Employees Resist Anyway?

There are many reasons why stakeholders might resist change, but research indicates that the most common are:

  • Lack of awareness about the reasons for the change
  • Fear of the unknown and disruption to routines
  • Concerns about job security and compensation
  • Negative leadership attitudes towards the change
  • Feeling excluded from the decision-making process
  • Comfort with the current state
  • Peer pressure / negative rumour mill

How does it Manifest Itself?

Again, there are many ways that resistance can show itself in the workplace, and since all stakeholders are individuals with unique circumstances, there are no standard responses. However, the research shows that some or all or the following may well reveal themselves at some point:

  • Emotional responses like anxiety and frustration
  • Disengagement and decreased participation, both in the change and normal work tasks
  • Absenteeism
  • Work impacts such as slower productivity
  • Acting out and challenging decision
  • Negativity and critical attitudes
  • Rumours / misinformation
  • Avoidance of change-related responsibilities

How Can Resistance Be Addressed?

There are many ways, (and these are comprehensively covered in a separate Playbook), but essentially there are 2 approaches: we can either try to anticipate where resistance will occur and proactively get ahead of it or respond to it when we see it.

Prevention – Proactive Strategies

  • Resistance-prevention planning by assessing readiness and engaging stakeholders early
  • Raising awareness through transparent and honest communication using appropriate messengers
  • Unifying the technical and people sides of change
  • Providing comprehensive training and support to build knowledge and skills.
  • Ensuring active and visible leadership sponsorship

Response – Reactive Strategies

Even with proactive prevention, some resistance may arise. In these cases, it's important to address the root causes with empathy rather than simply trying to ignore it or worse, suppress it.

  • Active listening to understand concerns
  • Engaging in two-way dialogue to find solutions
  • Addressing the root causes of resistance, not just the symptoms

What Roles Need to Manage Resistance?

Essentially, all stakeholders play a role in addressing resistance, but arguably the most prominent are:

  • Sponsors: provide vision and communicate the business reasons for change.
  • Change Practitioners: develop strategies and support other roles.
  • People Managers: communicate personal impact and act as coaches.
  • Project Managers integrate change management with the project plan.
  • Impacted Employees: need to engage with and adopt the change.

Change Practitioners (especially those in leadership roles) and Project Managersare often trained, certified and experienced in change and dealing with resistance.

Middle Managers, and to a certain extent Sponsors, are often most exposed to resistance and its manifestations, from both above and below, and at the same time paradoxically, often the group least trained and equipped to deal with it. It therefore makes sense that this group should be a prime target for proactive interventions and can provide the biggest return on investmentin terms of driving project success.

Impacted Employees will always be sources of resistance and should therefore always be addressed proactively as much as possible.

The Costs of Not Addressing Resistance

Not addressing resistance is a decision. Project leaders who don’t address resistance have in effect chosen not to, because resistance is entirely foreseeable and the consequences of not doing well documented. The research is conclusive and the evidence overwhelming. Ignore or try to suppress resistance and you may well witness:

  • Lower adoption rates – Employees disengage or revert to old ways of working.
  • Productivity loss – Time is wasted due to uncertainty and lack of skills.
  • Increased project costs – Delays lead to additional training, communications, and course correction.
  • Higher attrition rates – Employees who feel unsupported during change may leave.
  • Cultural damage – Mishandling resistance makes future change efforts even harder.
  • Project failure – And the loss of credibility that will inevitably follow.

What Does Success Look Like?

Taking that early decision to tackle resistance proactively and embed best practices into the project from the get-go, will pay dividends from the get-go.

The Path to Successful Change

My grandfather used to restore old furniture, and my father was a painter and decorator. I used to watch them work, painstakingly sanding down cabinets or door frames and seemingly making little progress. After hours or even days of this, the room to be decorated, or furniture item often looked worse than when they started.

However, suddenly, as if by magic, it would all come together within a relatively short space of time and the results were spectacular. They knew what many discover later in life: it's all in the preparation! And we discover that the same is true of so much else too. Exams, work, weddings, sport. Fail to prepare. Prepare to fail.

Successful Change Leaders also know this. They recognise that early and proactive intervention is key and the costs of not doing so will be significant. They also intrinsically know that to be truly effective in driving sustainable change, sometimes you need to use specialists. My dad would carefully prepare a wall for painting, but if it needed to be replastered, he would call in a plasterer. He knew that it would save both time and money in the long run.

And so it is with Change…

The Crucial Role of Learning and Development

Learning and Development plays a fundamental role in both preventing and reducing resistance to change. By focusing on building awareness, knowledge, and ability, L&D initiatives directly address key drivers of resistance and pay dividends early and throughout the project.

Building Awareness:

  • L&D specialists can design communication strategies and deliver information sessions to ensure employees understand the whybehind the change, the reasons for it, and the risks of inaction.
  • Clear and consistent communication, facilitated by L&D expertise, builds trust and reduces uncertainty.

Developing Knowledge and Ability:

  • Comprehensive, role-based training programmesare essential for equipping employees with the new skills, processes, or system knowledge required by the change. Learning Design expertise ensures that the training hits the mark from the outset.
  • Tailored training, aligned with change management models like ADKAR, helps employees understand how to adapt.
  • Ongoing support through coaching and mentoring, often facilitated an / or designed by L&D, can bridge the gap between knowledge and practical application, building confidence and reducing anxiety related to the unknown.

Fostering Engagement and Addressing Fears:

  • L&D can create opportunities for employees to actively participate in the change through workshops, feedback sessions, and involving them in the design of training materials. This engagement can address fears of the unknown and build a sense of ownership.
  • L&D can also help people managers develop their coaching and communication skills, enabling them to better support their teams through the transition and address individual concerns.

Reinforcement:

  • L&D can contribute to reinforcement strategies by designing post-implementation support, creating communities of practice, and developing resources that help sustain new behaviours over the long term.

Key Takeaways for the Change Leaders

Change and Project Managers:

  • Engage L&D as a strategic partner early in change initiatives and embed L&D professionals in the project from the outset.
  • Recognise resistance as a natural part of the change process and a valuable source of feedback. Prioritise resistance prevention through robust change management planning and early stakeholder involvement.
  • Actively sponsor the change, communicate transparently, and empower people managers to support their teams.

L&D Leaders:

  • Position L&D as a strategic partner in change initiatives, actively contributing to communication, awareness-building, training, and ongoing support.
  • Design learning solutions that directly address the knowledge and ability gaps created by the change, fostering confidence and reducing fear of the unknown.
  • Equip people managers with the skills to effectively communicate and coach their teams through change.

C-Suite Executives (Startups, Scaleups, SMEs):

  • Understand that effectively managing the people side of change, including resistance, is critical for achieving organisational results.
  • Invest in dedicated change management resources and empower the L&D function to play a central role in supporting change initiatives.
  • Recognise that proactive investment in communication, training, and support will lead to smoother transitions and a higher likelihood of meeting project objectives.
  • Foster a culture of adaptability by valuing feedback and recognising employees who embrace change.

By understanding the nature of resistance and strategically using the expertise of Learning and Development professionals, anyone involved in Change Leadership can significantly reduce resistance, foster engagement, and help drive successful business change.

Keep an eye out for the Resistance Playbook – a comprehensive, practical guide to 21 L&D tactics specifically designed to proactively melt resistance and transfrorm Pushback to Progress.

If any of the topics discussed in this post resonate with you, or you’d simply like to comment or discuss, please feel free to get in touch and let’s arrange a call

Helping forward-thinking HR leaders drive transformation by integrating Learning & Development with Change Management from the outset.

Get In Touch

Email: phil@caswelltraining.com


Phone: +44 7858 571823


Based in Manchester, UK.


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