By Cath Taylor, Head of Change, Enterprise Customer Onboarding & Mastering
Whilst the topic of the Rethink Change conference in May, was centred around Curiosity and Community, several of the speakers I got to see at Rethink Change offered important reminders of what change practitioners need in our toolkits to manage change resistance. From establishing common ground to building a change champion network and using what we know about the brain to deliver the right change messages at the right time.
First up, Nick Abrahams, keynote speaker at Rethink had me reflecting on my own reluctance and wariness about adopting AI in my day-to-day work (no judging thanks). Nick shared that Curiosity, Communication and Adaptability are amongst the most important core skills which will assist humans to “level up” as AI evolves to make everyone “pretty good” at their job. A good personal challenge for me to combat my own resistance with an open mind and a bit exploring. Curiosity can help to decrease resistance to change. Time to walk the walk, watch this space.
Finding common ground was the topic of the first break out session I attended, presented by Kerrie Smit. Framed as a negotiating or influencing tactic, finding common ground with impacted stakeholders could also work to calm resistance in the face of change – establishing a foundational pillar of trust. Laying the groundwork for authentic, honest conversations where hidden needs are tabled and ways forward illuminated. A platform to demystify the uncertainty of what is coming and create a collective space to exchange insights, ideas and concerns.
Our new friends from across the ditch, Debbie Owen & Jo McDowall from NZ Super fund, were next up with their learnings from establishing a Change Champion Network. Not just a tool to decrease resistance to change, but to also increase change management sponsorship and capability across organisations and role model positive change behaviours. Reminding us that adoption improves when “users are active in the change”.
In her presentation on the Holistic Change Leader: A Whole Brain Approach to Leading, Planning and Embedding change, Angeline Wilkes differentiated Program focused Change Management to Individually focused Change Leadership. By employing knowledge about the way our brains work, we can optimise engagement of, desire for and commitment to change in the people impacted. Angeline shared insights into sending messages when people are less likely to be in a High Beta (stressed, reactive) brain state, and she shared a variety of simple formulas, based on her knowledge of brain function, which she uses to enhance “cut through”. Adjusting the messaging and delivery of communication based on understanding if changes are likely to trigger our brain to regulate a threat or activate a reward. Being really tailored to the type of change and tuned to the limbic system’s likely emotional reaction. Tackling resistance and obstacles to change by using what we know about the way our brain works and drives human behaviour.
Over the day, a couple of people from the audience shared that when they don’t label methodologies and philosophies, stakeholders are more comfortable and less confused. To decrease resistance to change, and to maximise input into future solutions, keep the theory on your approach out of the limelight. Don’t tell your stakeholders you are using “human centred design” to generate ideas and solutions – just guide them through providing ideas and feedback, and solving problems. Makes sense – I never ask the accountant what tax theories he is applying to my tax return, and when I get a haircut, I take a picture – there’s never a discussion on the 5 hair design principles.
This is by no means a holistic collection of tools to manage change resistance and no doubt there were even more presented at Rethink which I didn’t get to see. Being reminded or introduced to these tools at Rethink has given me lots to reflect on – what could I be doing differently to decrease change resistance or to communicate the right message at the right time? What’s in your change resistance toolbox?
Additional reading /resources:
Nick Abrahams – Keynote Speaker, Author, Company Director & Lawyer
High Potency Change | Agencia Change
Resistance to change – a leader’s point of view — Dr Jen Frahm
(14) Reframing change resistance | LinkedIn
Rethink Change will be running a one day event in Melbourne on November 7. You can see Agile Change Leadership Institute alumni Annette Fraser and Marco Di Santos speaking on the day.
