Resistance. When we\u2019re in the midst of rolling out a change project and this word comes up, we tend to think of troublemakers \u2013 people who want to get in our way. Just like that. Because they don\u2019t feel like changing. That does happen, of course. But far more often, resistance has a cause that is not only valid but whose resolution can actually lead to better outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead of being based on \u201cI won\u2019t,\u201d resistance is much more often rooted in \u201cI can\u2019t.\u201d The reasons for this lack of implementation can be many. Perhaps someone couldn\u2019t attend the training, or didn\u2019t understand the content presented there. Perhaps they can\u2019t apply the change in their specific situation. Maybe they lack the necessary tools or the time. Maybe their direct supervisor doesn\u2019t support the change \u2013 a particularly problematic but also widespread issue. After all, it is well known that middle management is the group most frequently identified in studies as being skeptical toward change processes. Not because they\u2019re unwilling, but because they\u2019re structurally caught in the middle \u2013 responsible for implementation without having been properly informed, supported, or included in the design of the change itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To understand the true cause of resistance, we have to look closely. And we can only do so if the people who know the nuances of the situation are willing to let us see them. Often, it\u2019s not about technology, processes, or tools. It\u2019s about the micropolitical climate within an organization \u2013 those power structures that don\u2019t appear on org charts or in RACI matrices. They only become visible when people trust you enough to talk about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An example I encountered fairly early in my professional life is the following: There was a man working in a factory who was largely socially isolated. He spoke little, didn\u2019t belong to any group, and wasn\u2019t particularly skilled at anything \u2013 with one exception. He was the only person who could operate a specific, technically demanding machine that no one else could handle. For that, he was respected. It was his function within the team, his reason for being there, his quiet place in the social order. Had this very machine been replaced as part of a change initiative, he would have lost not only the one task that regularly gave him a sense of pride, but also his place in the group. I\u2019m convinced his colleagues would have noticed. Some of them \u2013 even though they themselves were meant to benefit from the change \u2013 would have opposed it on his behalf. Not out of self-interest, but out of loyalty. Out of human intelligence. Out of an instinct to protect a fragile balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resistance is often a reflection of such social shifts. It shows us where roles fall apart, where belonging is lost, where self-worth is put at risk. Those who understand change purely as a technical or organizational matter will fail to recognize these dynamics \u2013 and run the risk of seeing a million-euro project fail because of factors often dismissed as \u201csoft.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resistance is not a flaw in the system. It is an invitation to examine what has been overlooked, what is missing, what might be at risk. This is where the People Side of Change becomes essential \u2013 not as a side note, but as a strategic success factor. And this is where the elements often considered secondary unfold their full effect: a workshop that listens more than it persuades. A team activity that fosters trust. A change vision that doesn\u2019t remain on paper but becomes tangible in everyday work. These seemingly soft measures offer orientation \u2013 and create the foundation on which real transformation becomes possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we understand resistance as an invitation to listen to one another and to dare to build trust, then true and lasting change will grow from it. Vive la R\u00e9sistance!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Widerstand. Wenn wir gerade ein Change-Projekt ausgerollt haben und uns dieses Wort begegnet, denken wir meist an St\u00f6renfriede \u2013 an Menschen, die sich uns in den Weg stellen wollen. Und zwar einfach so. Weil sie keine Lust auf Ver\u00e4nderung haben. Das gibt es nat\u00fcrlich auch. Aber weit h\u00e4ufiger hat der Widerstand eine Ursache, durch die […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":219566177,"featured_media":1083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2710],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allgemein"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pdRIiE-hq","amp_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/carmenloew.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/pexels-photo-2787214.jpeg?fit=867%2C1300&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1080","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/219566177"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1080"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1080\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1084,"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1080\/revisions\/1084"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1080"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1080"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carmenloew.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1080"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}