Reasons Why People Resist Change
Change is hard, and we’re all resistant to it. Sometimes this resistance can cause us to even avoid changes that are especially important for our well-being or happiness. According to pain management specialist Jordan Sudberg, many factors lead to this resistance. We will be discussing reasons why business workers are resistant to change.
1. Loss of Control
This fundamental fear is instilled from the cradle and has been with us since we dropped our first toy or finger. The fear of the unknown can be a big problem for change, where we have to deal with uncertainty. This is a massive issue for most people. We like to know what’s going on and want to feel in control of the situation. When change occurs, it feels like we have lost that control.
2. Loss of Identity.
If we are used to having a particular way of interacting with a specific person or doing a thorough job, we may feel that our identity is lost. When Jordan Sudberg talked with employees at a large technology company, he discovered that many thought they had no identity when the business changed. They felt like the new system was “hijacking” their personality and not allowing them access to the things which made them unique.
3. Concerns about competence
Many people are afraid they won’t be able to handle change, even if they have plenty of time to prepare for it. According to Sudberg, this can result from the management of change. Employees feel like the company is putting them under a lot of pressure to be competent, which can cause resentment. We become better employees when we fall than when we never make a mistake.
4. Fear of Failure and Acknowledgement
This can be one of the biggest reasons why people resist change. Many people do not like to fail. When they fail, they feel vulnerable and will not want to be that person. They also do not want to be seen as a failure in front of their peers. Employees who seem to resist change the most are the ones who feel like they have failed recently. It is hard to accept something that didn’t work out the way we wanted it to, and we like to avoid failure at all costs. This is when we may begin to do strange things, like preventing change altogether.
5. Everything Seems Different
People begin to resist when they feel that everything is different and that we must adapt to the new way of working. This can be because we don’t know how to do things in a new way. We are afraid of not being able to cope with change. It’s another survival mechanism in our brain that can stunt our ability to change in the future.
Most importantly, resistance to change is a natural human response; it’s not just a business problem. Unfortunately, ignoring these reasons for resistance can hinder organizational effectiveness and lead to severe issues down the line, like decreased productivity and employee turnover. Change is not always easy, and sometimes it can be a considerable challenge, mainly when people are used to doing things a certain way and suddenly have to change their practices. Employees might become stressed about how they will complete the new job.
