Suspect Yourself First

November 12, 2007 - Luc Galoppin

I just can’t get a hold of that thing called ‘resistance’. I have tried to define it over and over. And just as much as I have written about it – to that same extent I get hooked by energy draining conflicts, oppositions and being right.

Seems like there is quite a gap between theory, rhetoric, blogging and practice. So one more time I try to clarify my view on resistance; in the first place to get a hold of it myself. Let me know if it works for you too!

HOW WILL YOU TACKLE RESISTANCE?

Some notes about the drawing:

  1. Whenever you are confronted with resistance, you should realize that you are the one who perceived and labeled the behavior and the person(s) as resistant in the first place. Perception is everything!
  2. On the right-hand side of the drawing, the point is to receive the communication. That way you allow the change process to start. You should know that there are lots of communications to receive before you get from resistance to commitment: anger, bargaining, depression and finally, acceptance.
  3. A lot of ‘R’ words! On the left-hand side, Resistance can follow the Revenge path and thus create a game of being Right. On the right-hand side Resistance can follow the Respect route and thus create a game of being in Relationship.
  4. I do make references to earlier posts on Indifference (Otis Redding Syndrome, Stockholm Syndrome, etc…)
  5. The quote in the middle is taken from Stephen Covey.

  • Hi, Luc,

    That’s a clever and fun way to get people on the right track when thinking about changes…

    Keep writing!

  • Hi, Luc,

    That’s a clever and fun way to get people on the right track when thinking about changes…

    Keep writing!

  • Luc,

    I love your point number 1. “Whenever you are confronted with resistance, you should realize that you are the one who perceived and labeled the behavior and the person(s) as resistant in the first place. Perception is everything!”

    I’ve been writing a series of posts saying the same thing about assessing employee potential for succession planning and development planning.

    Putting managers in charge of assessing potential results in a distorted perception of employee capability because managers are too close to the situation. This is why I have been arguing that managers-once-removed must be accountable for assessing potential.

    See: http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/succession-management-whose-eyes-are-focused-on-talent

    Regards,

    Michelle Malay Carter

  • Luc,

    I love your point number 1. “Whenever you are confronted with resistance, you should realize that you are the one who perceived and labeled the behavior and the person(s) as resistant in the first place. Perception is everything!”

    I’ve been writing a series of posts saying the same thing about assessing employee potential for succession planning and development planning.

    Putting managers in charge of assessing potential results in a distorted perception of employee capability because managers are too close to the situation. This is why I have been arguing that managers-once-removed must be accountable for assessing potential.

    See: http://www.missionmindedmanagement.com/succession-management-whose-eyes-are-focused-on-talent

    Regards,

    Michelle Malay Carter

  • Brilliant – I’m glad Steve pointed us to you. This is one of my favorite topics in change management – when the “change agent” is the resistor. It happens ALL the time. We’re especially susceptible when we’ve come up with a change management plan, started implementing it, and people offer “suggestions”. Funny how plans become our “baby” and we forget who/what the true child is (successful and organizationally appropriate change!). Thanks!

  • Brilliant – I’m glad Steve pointed us to you. This is one of my favorite topics in change management – when the “change agent” is the resistor. It happens ALL the time. We’re especially susceptible when we’ve come up with a change management plan, started implementing it, and people offer “suggestions”. Funny how plans become our “baby” and we forget who/what the true child is (successful and organizationally appropriate change!). Thanks!

  • Alvin Choong

    This is what I’ll term as original, authentic.

    Very well written article, with valuable insight to go into the root of the problem. I think as people are moving on at similar capacity (learning the same stuffs), everyone is equally qualified. It is alot of indifferences nowadays & yea, terming it as resistance is usually an understatement to intentionally differentiate the people at different level of management. To me this is pointless; what is will become, what isn’t will never be.

    Going forward, authentic leadership will be important, people that address the ‘true’ issues, of which sometimes is about themselve & their own mistake & shortcomings..

    Without the courage to identify that ourselves can sometimes be the problem, things cannot change easily. Your statement on setting the perception of who is the teacher or student, change agent or resistor is indeed the very wrong start that utimately crippled the entire communication system required for successful change.

    To start wrongly.. even with the smallest variance can have a very different set of outcome. chaos theory.

  • Alvin Choong

    This is what I’ll term as original, authentic.

    Very well written article, with valuable insight to go into the root of the problem. I think as people are moving on at similar capacity (learning the same stuffs), everyone is equally qualified. It is alot of indifferences nowadays & yea, terming it as resistance is usually an understatement to intentionally differentiate the people at different level of management. To me this is pointless; what is will become, what isn’t will never be.

    Going forward, authentic leadership will be important, people that address the ‘true’ issues, of which sometimes is about themselve & their own mistake & shortcomings..

    Without the courage to identify that ourselves can sometimes be the problem, things cannot change easily. Your statement on setting the perception of who is the teacher or student, change agent or resistor is indeed the very wrong start that utimately crippled the entire communication system required for successful change.

    To start wrongly.. even with the smallest variance can have a very different set of outcome. chaos theory.

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