Resistance to Change

Something is not working. You see a better way. You change how it’s. Voila! Changed. Right?

If you’ve ever made any change in your life,  you know this isn’t the full story. And if you’ve ever tried to lead a change effort for an organization, a team, or any group of people, you know it’s never ever as simple as just implementing a good solution. This other pesky thing almost always seems to pop up: Resistance. 

Resistance

What is resistance? Why do people seem to get in the way of a change that will probably make things better for them in the long run? 

My favorite tool for analyzing and overcoming resistance to change is called the Formula for Change. It looks like this: 

Change can happen when…

Dissatisfaction with the current state times a compelling Vision for the future times practical first Steps are greater than the perceived Cost of change. 

D x V x S > C

The Formula for Change teaches us: 

• All three components (dissatisfaction, vision, and steps) must be in place because anything multiplied by 0 makes the whole formula 0. 

• If just one component is large, it will make the whole formula larger. So other components can be weak as long as one is strong.

• Dissatisfaction, Vision, and Steps must be more than (not equal to) the cost of change. The formula uses the "greater than" symbol because all change must overcome resistance. Change can't just happen. It must overcome.

• To successfully implement change, one must determine the perceived costs of that change: money, time, status, etc. What do the stakeholders believe they stand to lose?

Dissatisfaction

Dissatisfaction with the current state is the most interesting component of the Formula to me. I find that many leaders know they need a vision and a plan, but they neglect to consider whether the those involved are dissatisfied in any way with the way things are right now. Remember: the formula teaches that all three components must be present; anything multiplied by 0 equals 0. 

This follows another of my favorite tools: The Hero’s Journey. In this story template, discovered and popularized by Joseph Campbell, the story always begins with the hero who feels that something in their world is not quite right. When they receive the invitation to their journey, our hero will at first refuse to go (“Who am I to lead this quest?”) But, ultimately, they will take the leap into the dangerous unknown because they know that it’s the only way to improve the world they live in. 

Why am I telling you about a literature template? Because successful leaders know that every person they have to convince to do something new is the hero of their own story; they must be invited to that dangerous unknown with a purpose. 

Put it Into Action

Let’s apply this to reality. Here’s a change I’ve seen made many times, often unsuccessfully: Changing a School. I have seen educators and their leadership teams go through incredible lengths to try to improve their schools, often by changing the very model of the program itself. They research, plan, and test. These changes are sometimes years in the making. But when they ultimately move to implement this change, who do you think stands in the way?

If you guessed parents, you’d be right. Parents are a tricky customer group. It seems simple enough. Parents want the best for their children; school leaders have researched what will be best. Except… 

Applying the formula here: 

What is the perceived cost of change to the parents? 

Their children’s entire futures - ability to get into colleges, thrive emotionally and physically, and ultimately lay a foundation for a good life in the future. 

What is the vision for the future?

Innovative education - but many parents may not understand what that means or why it is valuable.

What are the first steps?

To the parents, it may very well seem that the first step is to change everything. They haven’t been privy to the laborious hours of research and planning. 

What are they dissatisfied about now?

Parents are likely dissatisfied about many things - how quickly their children are progressing in certain subjects, how many extra curricular activities are available, the times of day school happens, and more. But, for most parents the link between their current dissatisfactions and the new model is often opaque. Worse, in many cases, the change doesn’t align with their actual dissatisfaction at all. 

When looking at this example, it’s easy to see that a lot of work needs to be done for each component, especially when considering that the perceived cost of change is very high. And when looking from this perspective, we can also gain one of the most important characteristics needed when making a large-scale change: empathy. 

If you’re getting ready to make a big change, before moving forward, ask yourself: 

What is the vision for the future? Is it compelling to stakeholders?

What are the first steps to make the change? Is that clear to everyone involved?

Who is dissatisfied and why?

What are the perceived costs?