BrazilOvercoming resistance to change: Five pitfalls to avoid
The resistance to change from manages or staff on the workfloor is a risk that can hinder any change program. So how should leaders go about with cracking the change resistance code?
Alize Hofmeester, partner at specialist change consultancy firm Twinxter, shares five pitfalls that are commonly made and how they can be avoided.
Pitfall 1: Focusing on the ‘What’ without the ‘Why’
One of the biggest mistakes leaders can make during change programs is jumping straight into the technical side of change – shuffling departments, adopting new tools – without addressing the human side.
A typical example: employees are informed of the change, its impact, but not given a clear reason why it’s happening. The purpose behind it remains a mystery, and as a result, their engagement with the process is half-hearted at best.
Here’s an example from my own experience. A company I worked at announced a reorganisation. I had a meeting with the leader leading the process, who proudly showed me a large drawing of the new structure. It was a big change – moving from decentralization to centralization, consolidating departments into one location.
When I asked why this was a good idea, he said, “Well, it’s good to shake up your structure every three years or so. Keeps everyone on their toes.”
I literally nearly fell off my chair. There was no talk about the people involved, no consideration of what it would mean for employees now commuting several hours, or the impact on the customers. A change driven in such a way – with a hardly backed raison d’etre and top-down with no further involvement – is ripe for facing resistance in the implementation phase.
Leaders in charge of change need to do better. When people don’t understand the “why,” they become disconnected, and their resistance only grows. So, always connect the dots between the purpose of the change and its impact on people’s daily lives.
Pitfall 2: Overlooking Emotional Reactions
When change is announced, emotions run high. Some people react with frustration, others with quiet disbelief. For a leader, it’s easy to forget that every change has an emotional impact. And if they don’t acknowledge it, the undercurrent of fear and frustration can derail even the best-laid plans.
Take the case of Tom, one of the employees I met during an organisational restructuring. The directors had just announced that his team would be relocated to headquarters – three hours away from his home. Tom stood up in the middle of the meeting and said, “It’s easy for you to talk. You’re already here. I’ll have to drive three hours a day. Did you even think about that?”
His emotions echoed what many others were feeling, and in that moment, any hope for a smooth transition was lost.
The lesson? Ignoring emotional reactions is one of the most dangerous pitfalls in leading change. Leaders must create a space where people feel heard, respected, and understood. Empathy isn’t a weakness; it’s a critical part of driving transformation.
Pitfall 3: Treating change like a One-Off
Another common mistake is treating change like a one-and-done deal. Leaders announced the change, implement it, and then expect people to move on. But in today’s rapidly changing world, change is continuous, and as a result, transformation is not a single event – it’s an ongoing process.
No matter how well-planned change programs are, surprises always come up along the way: obstacles, detours, and unforeseen challenges. That means that leaders need to stay flexible, continuously adjust and support their teams as they navigate through the process.
In one organisation I worked, the leadership team rolled out a new tool as part of their transformation without checking in on how the employees were adapting. A few months later, they realized that people were still clinging to old ways of working. Well, they were using the new tool, however, they did not adjust their behaviour and ways of collaborating and meeting. So, the new tool was there, but in fact hardly adding any value. The ROI on the investment was low.
The lesson is to consider change as an iterative cycle: build feedback loops and regular check-ins. Transformation requires sustained effort and leadership, not a quick fix.
Pitfall 4: Ignoring the importance of a Strong Leadership Team
Leaders often think that the systems or processes they implement are what make change successful. But in reality, it’s the strength and commitment of the leadership team that matters most. Without a unified and committed leadership team, the odds are high that a transformation will lose momentum. Leaders must be aligned, not just on strategy, but on purpose and values too.
An example: I worked with an HR leadership team that was preparing to roll out a new strategy. They quickly realized that without a strong leadership team to guide the change, the ROI would be minimal. Instead of pushing ahead with the operating model, they paused to work on their team’s purpose. Who were they as a team? How could they act as one?
By focusing on their internal alignment first, they were able to lead the transformation with clarity and conviction, supporting their people through every step.
Pitfall 5: Not building Organisation-wide Engagement
Change can’t be something that happens to people; it must happen with them. Too often, change initiatives are delegated to a select few or a transformation team, hoping they’ll do the heavy lifting. But if lasting impact is to be achieved, engagement from every corner of the organisation is needed.
The most successful transformations I’ve seen during my career involve cross-functional teams, working in communities, that bring insights from all areas of the business. These teams act as orchestrators of change, creating a ripple effect of ownership and collaboration. When employees feel like active participants in the journey, the change becomes part of the organisation’s DNA.
