Resistance to Change

One of the key challenges in any Lean, Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma or Operational Excellence programmes is the resistance to change.

In today’s fast changing environment, change is an inevitable part of business. While some are able to deal with change easily, for others, it can be a more difficult process to deal with. In fact, some employees may resist the process, and their resistance to the change process can have negative effects for the organisation or business. If these negative effects are not addressed in a timely manner, they can become widespread and affect the morale of the staff. Understanding the negative effects of resistance to change in your organisation is the first step.

Lower Employee Morale

When employees resist a change taking place at work, they may feel less optimistic and hopeful about their professional future with the organisation. This is particularly so if there is a lack of communication regarding the change. Among other negative effects of resistance to change, lowered morale can spread throughout the entire staff, which can in turn lead to staff recruiting and retention issues.

Reduced Efficiency

A negative effect that results from employees spending time focusing on resisting the changes in the workplace is that they become less focused on performing the daily tasks required from their jobs. This can lead to a reduced level of efficiency and output among employees, which can be damaging to the organisation’s bottom line.

Disruptive Work Environment

Another negative effect to resistance among employees to changes is a more disruptive work environment. Employees resisting changes may have conflicts with management staff over the changes. They may spread the same negativity among their co-workers, encouraging them to act in a similar manner, which in turn causes greater unrest among staff.

Mitigating the Negative Effects

There are numerous ways organisations can mitigate the negative effects of resistance to change among employees. This can range from holding meetings and discussions with employees which allow them to air their grievances regarding the changes, to providing additional training and resources to help employees to cope and adapt. Taking the steps to make employees feel more comfortable with changes will go a long way toward creating more positive and beneficial effects from change than negative ones.

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