Old habits die hard! People never change! if this is true, then what change management is about? Is it not about asking people to change the their ways, in some way?

Change is always about people. It starts right with the upper level executives, they are as resistant to change as others, but they transmit that to the rest of employees and the negative impact of change is enhanced.

 

 

 

 

I agree with you, it doesn’t matter which country or culture, it is all the same because it is all about people.

 

 

 

 

 

I believe you must really know people, what drives them, what are their inner fears; I have met people who wouldn’t even “voice” their reason to resist because they were ashamed to shoe what their fear was.

All in all I think when you challenge people with getting out of their comfort zone and with changing their routine you will always face resistance even if it is passive, you know, they don’t say no but they don’t say yes and the first chance they have of doing things the way they used to do they take it.

I try, it depends on the business, the people, the change, to make people see the “before” and the “after” and I use a story telling speech. I also plan a short term goal to be achieved; I understood long ago that if people see results, you have 50% of resistance done with.

 

 

 

 

Then you must stay with them during the first days or weeks of the change, always available and willing to demystify problems; if you don’t do this than for sure people will slowly go back to the way it was before. When I say you must stay, I mean someone who is acquainted with the change, must stay for a while.