m and allow them to feel heard and respected. It may be that we are unable to accommodate their needs. But people are much more willing to accept that and take unwelcome news on the chin if they feel heard and respected. And they are much more likely to adapt to the change and continue to perform well, rather than hitting the highway and leaving us with another position to fill.

This isn’t the macho approach, I know. But it’s a human approach. And it’s sustainable.

People like change. They do it all the time. If people seem change resistant its probably because they feel vulnerable and powerless in the current situation. Listen to them and let them feel heard. Then

I’ve often heard it said that People Don’t Like Change.

But is this really true? If it were true, wouldn’t we still be hunter gatherers, eking out a nomadic existence?

I think this whole idea that people are fundamentally change resistant is a misunderstanding. It comes from dealing with people who feel scared and disempowered. Change managers call them “Low Influence, High Interest” stakeholders. These are the people who are likely to be significantly impacted by a change, but who have no say in what the change is, or how or when it is implemented. People in this position are understandably nervous and tend to be the most vociferous opponents of change.

But, if we were to take a peep into the private lives of these people, we would find that they embrace change every day of their lives. They move house. They get married. They get divorced. They have children. They change jobs. They change religion. Some of them even change their gender.

In fact, as far as I can see, being totally change resistant seems like a very uncommon characteristic amongst human beings.

Most people want new things. Most people want the latest gadgets and the newest deals. People want to move forward and make progress and be up with the times. If this wasn’t the case then surely we wouldn’t have mobile phones and ipods and the Internet.

When we say that People Don’t Like Change, maybe what we really mean is that they don't like our change. And the reason they are scared is because they perceive themselves to be low influence, high interest stakeholders – people with no control and everything to lose.

So what’s the best way to communicate with people in this situation?

One approach is to simply dismiss their concerns and trample roughshod over their complaints. This is the approach that many seem to advocate. After all these people are low influence so they don’t matter, right? Tell them that this is how it is to be done and if they don’t like it they know where the door is. Tough. That’s business. That’s life.

Personally, I think that this attitude is unproductive and unsustainable.

Not only does it breed distrust and disharmony, storing up problems, delays and unnecessary costs for later on, but it also contributes to a general expectation by everybody that they will be treated when they find themselves in a vulnerable position. It doesn’t matter which stakeholders we are talking about - employees, suppliers, customers, the local community – the inevitable lack of trust and cooperation that follows this line of thinking is costly, time-consuming and unpleasant for everyone.

Surely, if people are feeling vulnerable and scared, we need to listen to them and allow them to feel heard and respected. It may be that we are unable to accommodate their needs. But people are much more willing to accept that and take unwelcome news on the chin if they feel heard and respected. And they are much more likely to adapt to the change and continue to perform well, rather than hitting the highway and leaving us with another position to fill.

This isn’t the macho approach, I know. But it’s a human approach. And it’s sustainable.

People like change. They do it all the time. If people seem change resistant its probably because they feel vulnerable and powerless in the current situation. Listen to them and let them feel heard. Then

if we were to take a peep into the private lives of these people, we would find that they embrace change every day of their lives. They move house. They get married. They get divorced. They have children. They change jobs. They change religion. Some of them even change their gender.

In fact, as far as I can see, being totally change resistant seems like a very uncommon characteristic amongst human beings.

Most people want new things. Most people want the latest gadgets and the newest deals. People want to move forward and make progress and be up with the times. If this wasn’t the case then surely we wouldn’t have mobile phones and ipods and the Internet.

When we say that People Don’t Like Change, maybe what we really mean is that they don't like our change. And the reason they are scared is because they perceive themselves to be low influence, high interest stakeholders – people with no control and everything to lose.

So what’s the best way to communicate with people in this situation?

One approach is to simply dismiss their concerns and trample roughshod over their complaints. This is the approach that many seem to advocate. After all these people are low influence so they don’t matter, right? Tell them that this is how it is to be done and if they don’t like it they know where the door is. Tough. That’s business. That’s life.

Personally, I think that this attitude is unproductive and unsustainable.

Not only does it breed distrust and disharmony, storing up problems, delays and unnecessary costs for later on, but it also contributes to a general expectation by everybody that they will be treated when they find themselves in a vulnerable position. It doesn’t matter which stakeholders we are talking about - employees, suppliers, customers, the local community – the inevitable lack of trust and cooperation that follows this line of thinking is costly, time-consuming and unpleasant for everyone.

Surely, if people are feeling vulnerable and scared, we need to listen to them and allow them to feel heard and respected. It may be that we are unable to accommodate their needs. But people are much more willing to accept that and take unwelcome news on the chin if they feel heard and respected. And they are much more likely to adapt to the change and continue to perform well, rather than hitting the highway and leaving us with another position to fill.

This isn’t the macho approach, I know. But it’s a human approach. And it’s sustainable.

People like change. They do it all the time. If people seem change resistant its probably because they feel vulnerable and powerless in the current situation. Listen to them and let them feel heard. Then

we say that People Don’t Like Change, maybe what we really mean is that they don't like our change. And the reason they are scared is because they perceive themselves to be low influence, high interest stakeholders – people with no control and everything to lose.

So what’s the best way to communicate with people in this situation?

One approach is to simply dismiss their concerns and trample roughshod over their complaints. This is the approach that many seem to advocate. After all these people are low influence so they don’t matter, right? Tell them that this is how it is to be done and if they don’t like it they know where the door is. Tough. That’s business. That’s life.

Personally, I think that this attitude is unproductive and unsustainable.

Not only does it breed distrust and disharmony, storing up problems, delays and unnecessary costs for later on, but it also contributes to a general expectation by everybody that they will be treated when they find themselves in a vulnerable position. It doesn’t matter which stakeholders we are talking about - employees, suppliers, customers, the local community – the inevitable lack of trust and cooperation that follows this line of thinking is costly, time-consuming and unpleasant for everyone.

Surely, if people are feeling vulnerable and scared, we need to listen to them and allow them to feel heard and respected. It may be that we are unable to accommodate their needs. But people are much more willing to accept that and take unwelcome news on the chin if they feel heard and respected. And they are much more likely to adapt to the change and continue to perform well, rather than hitting the highway and leaving us with another position to fill.

This isn’t the macho approach, I know. But it’s a human approach. And it’s sustainable.

People like change. They do it all the time. If people seem change resistant its probably because they feel vulnerable and powerless in the current situation. Listen to them and let them feel heard. Then

. That’s life.

Personally, I think that this attitude is unproductive and unsustainable.

Not only does it breed distrust and disharmony, storing up problems, delays and unnecessary costs for later on, but it also contributes to a general expectation by everybody that they will be treated when they find themselves in a vulnerable position. It doesn’t matter which stakeholders we are talking about - employees, suppliers, customers, the local community – the inevitable lack of trust and cooperation that follows this line of thinking is costly, time-consuming and unpleasant for everyone.

Surely, if people are feeling vulnerable and scared, we need to listen to them and allow them to feel heard and respected. It may be that we are unable to accommodate their needs. But people are much more willing to accept that and take unwelcome news on the chin if they feel heard and respected. And they are much more likely to adapt to the change and continue to perform well, rather than hitting the highway and leaving us with another position to fill.

This isn’t the macho approach, I know. But it’s a human approach. And it’s sustainable.

People like change. They do it all the time. If people seem change resistant its probably because they feel vulnerable and powerless in the current situation. Listen to them and let them feel heard. Then

m and allow them to feel heard and respected. It may be that we are unable to accommodate their needs. But people are much more willing to accept that and take unwelcome news on the chin if they feel heard and respected. And they are much more likely to adapt to the change and continue to perform well, rather than hitting the highway and leaving us with another position to fill.

This isn’t the macho approach, I know. But it’s a human approach. And it’s sustainable.

People like change. They do it all the time. If people seem change resistant its probably because they feel vulnerable and powerless in the current situation. Listen to them and let them feel heard. Then be honest with them and take the trouble to expain why change is necessary.

To quote Stephen Covey, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."