The "manager" tries to overcome resistance to change. The LEADER embraces it.

This is the topic of Jim's session at the CU Leadership Convention in Las Vegas on August 2nd. More information at the bottom of this page…

A resistor is an electronic device that, well, resists an electric current.

You know what happens when you try to “overcome” that resistance and push too much current through a resistor?

It burns out.

The same thing happens when you try to overcome resistance to change by pushing people through it. They burn out. And the results can be catastrophic.

Assuming a reasonably healthy and positive culture, resistance is an important signal. It tells us that people’s lives may be negatively impacted by the change we’re trying to implement. The result is often that anything gained by making a particular change may be offset by a drop in production when people fail to perform to standards because their lives and work is disrupted.

And you might be surprised that research show that the social impact of change is far more important than the technical side. For example, when people who have established bonds and form an effective team are uprooted, productivity, creativity and overall performance suffer far worse than when they are asked to make functional technical changes in a work process.

One of the most popular “go to” strategies “the manager” employs––and one of the worst––is to try to get people to “buy-in.” If you’ve got to try to sell a change you’ve missed a vital step. You didn’t fully understand the impact of said change on the lives of the people who have to do it.

Forget “buy-in” and start askin’. I’m not trying to be clever––I’m deadly serious…