Remember the fresh smell of a new book? Remember the color of the new water flow, or the excitement of a new flower blooming, or the beautiful change of seasons? We always had our joyful moments of new beginnings. But still, new is not welcomed at the workplace.

Why do we show resistance? What stops people from enjoying change at workplace? Is it a new role, a new boss, a new tool, or a new process? Or is it simply a new colleague?

I observed various factors in organizations that might influence the way people react to change. At an individual level, there are four dimensions related to change that seem to be playing on the minds of people.

Fear – When faced with change, people do experience a sense of fear. It could be fear of getting exposed; fear of becoming more accountable, fear of uncertainty or simply it could be fear of the unknown. For example, when a new boss arrives, one may fear that he or she may notice your shortcomings; work load may increase or daily report on your performance may have to submitted; or there could be fear of reducing the head count and you may get affected.

Discomfort – We always find it easy and cozy if our daily work routines are well set so that we can go through the same without much effort. When change takes place, it forces people to come out of the set routine and thereby creating discomfort.

Lack of Motivation – One may not understand the organization’s reason for change because within one’s role or department, one may feel that life is going on smoothly. In such cases, individual will not have any motivation to change. Simply put, the key question is: what is in it for me to change?

Consequence – It is better if there is a self-realized motivation. In its absence, at least there must be some consequence for resisting change. Imagine a situation where an individual lacks motivation and there is no explicitly stated consequence. Why would any one change?

Any change management strategy needs to address the above four factors. In today’s fast changing business environment, new needs to be welcomed at every level in a workplace. We will look forward to any interesting experiences that can be shared around these factors.

Blog Author : Dr Raj