Resistance is Futile?

Whether you are new to your leadership role or are a seasoned leadership veteran you are bound to experience or have experienced resistance to a project, initiative or strategy you have taken on in your role.  While it is often said that change is the one true constant I'm sure that if you flipped that particular metaphorical coin over you would find a reference to resistance to change being inevitable.

There's a risk in simply taking for granted and dismissing resistance as unavoidable.  On the one hand, simply accepting resistance as inevitable can lull some leaders into a complacent or even fatalistic view of their efforts to implement a strategy, project or other initiative.  They approach the pending effort from a standpoint of "why bother" working through all the possible contingencies or details required for any significant plan.  At the end of the day, they simply believe that the effort expended is futile given that there will be resistance even if the form and intensity is unpredictable.  This view may even be borne out of historical experience and frustration with past change efforts.  Past reality - and skill in previous efforts - however, does not necessarily make this conclusion the correct one.

On the opposite end of the scale, other leaders can also acknowledge that resistance to change is inevitable but rather than be apathetic or fatalistic about it they adopt a far more aggressive - even arrogant - approach to moving a strategy forward.   In the most extreme scenario, the leader assumes that the basis and rationale for their strategy is impeccably sound, that the benefits of implementation are significant and blatantly self-evident, and that the timeline in which the initiative is to be completed is imminently doable.  Resistance to any aspect of the initiative - either in substance or form - is dismissed as irrelevant.  In effect, the (arrogant) leader presumes a level of omnipotence that supersedes the knowledge and skill possessed by his team.  In short, resistance is futile.  You will be assimilated (reference Start Trek The Next Generation, Borg philosophy).

Both extremes are incorrect.  Both can take leaders down a path of personal frustration.  In the first circumstance, an individual leader can find themselves in a constant firefighting role as they try to manage almost daily challenges trying to move forward their project through to successful conclusion.  No easy feat and oftentimes leading to a series of compromises and an end product that bears little resemblance to initial plans.  In the second case, given the arrogance of the leader that is sometimes in play, an initiative may be taken through to "successful" conclusion but at a significant cost to the well-being of the rest of the team.  If the initiative fails to progress or achieve all of its projected benefits, the leader who dismissed the potential for resistance often lays the blame at the feet of subordinates for improper execution or commitment.  And sometimes, there are true casualties - terminations - along the way.  Fear and success go hand-in-hand.

But rather than presume and accept resistance without planning for such effective management of resistance comes in recognizing reasons and sources for such and establishing responses and contingencies ahead of time.  The reality is that you either spend the time up front mitigating resistance or you will be dealing with it later on.  Pay now or pay later and paying later usually means greater cost, effort, and frustration with diminished results.

So a few lessons in moving forward any initiative, especially one of any significance. First, truly understand the initiative you are proposing for implementation.  As the leader, you need to be more familiar with the initiative than anyone else, you need to be able to effectively and clearly articulate the benefits - and risks - in moving forward, and you have to be capable of surfacing and dealing with questions and possible objections.  I believe that unless and until you put such a plan to paper you are likely in no position to effectively carry the day with others.

Second, you need to have a true and objective understanding of your team and key stakeholders as you consider implementing a new initiative.  Do they in fact have the required skill sets and abilities to move your initiative forward?  Might your team already be overtaxed with other initiatives and responsibilities that would prevent them from effectively moving forward on something new?

For both you and your team, presuming that you don't have excess organizational capacity, how does this new initiative fit into your overall plan?  If your organization has already fully committed its organizational resources are you prepared to acquire additional resources to take on this new priority? Are you prepared to establish this new initiative as your top priority?  As one of your top three organizational priorities?  What sacrifices are you and your team prepared to make?  Keep in mind - from my perspective - if you have more than five "top" priorities my assumption is that you have no priorities whatsoever.

Finally, rather than attempting to overwhelm potential resistance with the force of your leadership position or to simply persevere despite the odds through personal effort, perhaps you should consider something else when faced with resistance.  Perhaps you could learn something from those who are resisting your efforts.  Perhaps you are wrong and perhaps those putting up barriers are doing so for legitimate reasons.  They may in fact be better informed than you on some aspect of your initiative, may be more objective around its benefits and risks, and their resistance may be focused on what is best for the organization and your own success.  Just because they are resistant to your ideas doesn't mean they are opposed to you.

Maybe after all is said and done resistance is only not futile but in may in fact be the best thing that could happen for your success.  And perhaps a great leader can be strong enough and humble enough to listen and learn from their team.
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Greg Hadubiak, MHSA, FACHE, CEC, PCC
TEC Canada Chair/Executive Coach/Senior Consultant
hadubiak@wmc.ca

Helping leaders realize their strengths and enabling organizations to achieve their potential through the application of my leadership experience and coaching skills. I act as a point of leverage for my clients. I AM their Force Multiplier.