How to overcome resistance to change in companies?

Understanding resistance to change

Resistance to change in companies refers to all the behaviors, attitudes and reactions that slow down or block the implementation of an organizational transformation. It is natural and predictable: it must be managed, not fought.

The causes of resistance

According to Harvard’s Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the main factors of resistance are:

• Fear of losing control : employees fear that their role or influence will diminish
• Uncertainty : Not knowing what the future holds generates anxiety
• Lack of information : when objectives and impacts are not clearly communicated
• Lack of confidence in one’s abilities : the fear of not being up to the new demands
• Confusion : the change in daily habits and landmarks

Resistance can be individual (loss of bearings, fear for employment, fear of the unknown) or organizational (changes in values, questioning of hierarchical models, evolution of management styles).

The Four Forms of Resistance

According to Gérard-Dominique Carton, resistance takes four distinct forms:

1. Inertia : lack of active participation, passive wait-and-see attitude
2. Argumentation : discussion, negotiation, questioning (the most constructive form)
3. The revolt : active protest, strikes, resignations
4. Sabotage : underground action to compromise the project

Kotter’s Model: 8 Steps to Driving Change

John Kotter, a professor at Harvard, has developed one of the most proven frameworks for driving transformations. Its 8 stages offer a structuring framework that responds directly to the causes of resistance.

Overcoming Resistance: A Methodological Guide in 5 Actions

1. Communicate upstream, with transparency

All change management must be accompanied by transparent, clear and explicit communication, well before the project is launched. Decision-makers must detail the reasons, the stakes, the benefits and the individual and collective impacts. Silence feeds fear; Transparency builds trust.

2. Involve employees in decisions

The teams must be actively mobilized: collection of opinions, suggestions, inclusion in decisions. Soliciting collective intelligence reduces the feeling of powerlessness and transforms potential resistance fighters into agents of change. Favor horizontal management based on equality and agile approaches.

3. Create safe dialogue spaces

Set up individual interviews, group meetings and intranet tools that allow for confident expression. The role of the manager is to offer a benevolent and non-judgmental listening. The resistances expressed are always preferable to underground resistances.

4. Have a strong vision and lead by example

Communicate a motivating vision that highlights the collective, organizational and individual benefits. Leaders need to be enthusiastic and exemplary — if management doesn’t change itself, why would teams?

5. Accept the time of transition

The transition process follows an emotional curve (shock, denial, anger, fear, sadness, acceptance, search for meaning, serenity). Each employee progresses at his or her own pace. Patience and understanding are managerial skills in their own right.

Concrete cases of successful transformation

La Poste: from administration to customer service

Faced with the decline in mail and digitalisation, La Poste has led one of the biggest business transformations in France: diversification into banking services, e-commerce logistics and home services. The success was based on massive communication, the training of tens of thousands of employees and the involvement of the unions in the co-construction of the project.

Danone: sustainable transformation

Danone has embarked on a profound transformation around its “One Planet. One Health”, integrating environmental and social objectives into its business strategy. The initial resistance was overcome by linking the variable remuneration of managers to CSR objectives and by creating mission committees involving employees.

Mid-sized companies supported by Wayden

Wayden regularly assists mid-caps in their restructuring and transformation projects. In each mission, the interim manager starts with a diagnosis of resistance, structures an adapted communication plan and manages the change step by step with the support of internal relays.

Calling on an interim manager to manage the change

Wayden has a network of 2,000 experienced managers and executives (15 to 25 years of career) capable of leading the most complex transformation projects. Thanks to their outside perspective, their expertise in change management and their interpersonal skills, they unite teams and remove resistance at each stage.

For more information, see the W Guide — Towards Change and our article on managing and supporting change.

Are you leading a transformation project?

Contact Wayden

Frequently asked questions

Why do employees resist change?

Resistance to change arises mainly from the fear of losing control, uncertainty about the future, lack of information about goals and impacts, and confusion related to changing habits. It can be individual or organizational.

What is the failure rate of business transformation projects?

According to the work of John Kotter (Harvard Business Review) and a McKinsey study of 1,546 executives, about 70% of transformation projects do not meet their objectives. The main causes are the lack of employee involvement and insufficient communication.

What is the Kotter model?

Kotter’s model is an 8-step framework for driving change: create a sense of urgency, build a coalition, develop a vision, communicate, empower, generate quick wins, consolidate and anchor change in culture.

How can an interim manager help?

An interim manager brings an outside perspective, expertise in change management and legitimacy that facilitates buy-in. He structures the approach, identifies resistance, adapts communication and supports the teams at each stage.