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The 5 types of resistance to change in organizations Feb 09, 2025

 

Over the years, we've worked extensively with Rick Maurer’s three levels of resistance:

  1. “I Don’t Get It” – Cognitive resistance, where people struggle to understand the change.

  2. “I Don’t Like It” – Emotional resistance, driven by fear, anxiety, or frustration.

  3. “I Don’t Like You” – T...

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The Hidden Key to Successful Organizational Change Feb 05, 2025

 

Why do so many organizations attempt change, but so few succeed? 

We’ve all heard the corporate promises: “We are a change-driven organization!” or “People are at the heart of our transformation!”, yet many initiatives fail somewhere between intention and reality.

Organizational change often do...

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The Pleasure Principle in Change Management: How Fun Fuels Lasting Transformation Jan 29, 2025

 Self-control is often seen as the key to success. Whether it's healthy habits, sustainable behavior, or productivity improvements, the underlying assumption is that discipline and willpower are necessary to achieve long-term goals. But what if this classic approach is incomplete?

The study ‘Pleas...

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Attention! No Time for Change? Jan 23, 2025

 

Yesterday, I came across this quote by Lao Tzu: “Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time’ is like saying ‘I don’t want to’.” 

Many busy people will strongly disagree, claiming they genuinely don’t have time. While that might sometimes be true, often it boils down to a lack of priority...

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The IKEA Effect: Embracing Change by Co-Creating It Oct 08, 2024

 

What you create or invest effort in, you value more than what others create.

This is the IKEA Effect, named after the Swedish furniture retailer. Many people think IKEA is successful because of its affordability, but that’s just one part of its value proposition. The other important aspect is al...

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The ‘Mere Exposure Effect’ in Organizational Change Sep 02, 2024

We prefer what feels familiar. When confronted with something new or unfamiliar, we often rely on what we already know. This is the mere exposure effect at work—a psychological phenomenon first introduced by Robert Zajonc in 1968. It’s an essential concept in behavioral psychology and plays a sign...

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Tell Me Exactly What to Do  Dec 06, 2023

Managing change is about helping people. Make it easy and enjoyable for people to adapt to change. “Help me!” is the call that every people-centric change manager picks up from the plethora of feedback in organizations. You can help people change during the implementation of a program, but you can a...

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Authority + Credibility = Influence Nov 16, 2022

As humans, we are strongly inclined to comply with authority figures. This tendency is ingrained in our nature and often operates unconsciously. People frequently underestimate the influence that authority exerts on their behavior.

Three key symbols effectively establish authority:

  1. Titles: Doc...

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Using Likability as a Tool for Organizational Change Aug 11, 2022

Implementing change in organizations largely revolves around influencing others. Influence doesn’t happen by chance—it can be cultivated. It’s both a science and an art.

The Six Principles of Influence

Robert Cialdini, an American professor of marketing and psychology, summarized the science of in...

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No Gain, No Pain: Bring the Future Forward to Accelerate Change Jul 07, 2021

When introducing new software, give people a fantastic experience first, and then ask for their effort (like creating a profile, entering data, or adopting a new mindset or behavior). By reversing the "no pain, no gain" mantra to "no gain, no pain," you prioritize creating positive experiences befor...

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