Change is rarely just operational—it is deeply personal. Leaders often face resistance, but it’s more than pushback; it’s psychology in action. At ChangeSync, we believe understanding the “why of pushback” can help you break down barriers faster, lead change with heart, and build real resilience in your team.

How People Really Change

Changing our daily habits or work isn’t like flipping a switch—instead, it is a process that unfolds gradually through distinct stages. Psychologists call this The Transtheoretical Model, or "The Stages of Change Model," a kind of roadmap for how individuals intentionally alter significant daily behaviors.

Here is a crash-course in The Stages of Change Model:

• Stage 1: Pre-contemplation — An individual is totally unaware or unconvinced that change is needed.
• Stage 2: Contemplation — A person is sitting on the fence, weighing pros and cons of the change.
• Stage 3: Preparation — The person understands how the change will affect them and is gearing up their action plans.
• Stage 4: Action — The individual is rolling up their sleeves and applying new skills or behaviors.
• Stage 5: Maintenance — The change is part of the “new normal” and now the person is focused on making the change stick.

In organizational change management, our work is most effective when we meet people where they are in their mindset and in their journey through The Stages of Change Model.

By helping employees weigh pros and cons and building confidence through each step—whether they’re just thinking about it or already taking action—we keep people engaged, ease resistance, and make changes to behavior truly stick.

Why Do People Resist Change?

As you read this, take a moment to stop and think about a time when you felt resistant to a change in your workplace. Was your hesitation unreasonable? Probably not. Even the most beneficial change can feel threatening. It is important to recognize that employees’ operational concerns and emotional responses are often based on legitimate reasons.

Let’s look at common factors that contribute to resistance:

• ‍Loss of control: This can occur when employees feel that important decisions are being made without their input. They perceive the change as reduction in their autonomy, expertise, or influence at work.
• ‍Fear of failure: If a change demands new skills (for example when new technologies are involved), employees may worry that they won’t be able to adapt quickly enough or meet new demands. This can heighten concerns about their job security, relevance, or competence.
• ‍Disrupted routines: Habits and routine provide employees with a sense of comfort and psychological safety—familiar workflows and established processes allow them to operate confidently. Alternatively, new processes increase our mental load and introduce unpredictability as people adjust to new ways of working.

• ‍Past experiences: Negative or poorly managed changes of the past can damage the organization’s credibility and erode trust in future change initiatives. Disruption or unmet promises can make employees skeptical and cautious of new change efforts.
• ‍Lack of trust: If leaders have not built credibility or transparency, people may question the change’s intent or success. It’s hard to guide a team that has not seen the real-world benefits of a strategic change management program. Be patient, communicate with your team, and always pay attention to how people are trending throughout the entire life cycle of the change journey.

Resistance is not always rooted in unwillingness; it can be a mismatch between where leaders think people should be and where people truly are. Recognizing the distinction between these two elements helps leaders respond with empathy and strategy instead of frustration.

“Importantly, this is not a linear path, but cyclical. People can revert to earlier stages from any stage. For instance, someone who has been steadily going to the gym for several months might miss a few workouts and eventually stop exercising altogether, returning to the contemplation stage before moving forward again,” The Decision Lab (The Transtheoretical Model, 2025).

Five Ways to Help People Through Workplace Change

1) Normalize Emotional Responses

Remind your team that resistance and emotional reactions are a normal part of the change process. Create early opportunities for people to express valid concerns, feedback, and their institutional expertise.

Validate the emotional ups and downs people will experience and help leaders understand that setbacks or hesitation are not failures but expected bumps along the journey.

‍2)Build Psychological Safety

When people feel safe speaking up, asking questions, and making mistakes, they are more likely to lean into a new change. Equip your leaders with the skills needed to feel comfortable holding open dialogue and coaching employees through resistance.

• ChangeSync's Leading Through Change Seminar can equip your leaders with the practical insights and hands-on tools they need to proactively address change fatigue, coach resistant employees, and build resilience within their teams.

3) Explain "Why" of Change, Not Just the "What"

People need context. Help them understand not just what is changing, but why it matters to them in their role, their team, and the broader context of the organization. Repeated, targeted, and clear communication builds clarity and confidence.  

4) Invite Employee Participation

Whenever possible, involve employees in shaping the change journey in meaningful and strategic ways. People are more likely to support what they helped co-create. This sense of mutual ownership reduces stakeholder resistance and builds momentum.

5) Acknowledge and Support

Change requires significant emotional and cognitive labor from your workforce. Acknowledge the effort it takes to learn, adjust, and let go of old ways of working. Recognize progress, highlight people who go above and beyond, offer support, and stay flexible in your approach to educating and communicating with impacted employees.

Avoiding Resistance Only Makes Change Harder

Leaders often try to squash resistance to speed up the pace of change, but this alienates your employees and fuels negativity. A smarter strategy is to anticipate and normalize resistance behaviors, investing in change management to navigate the human side of change and ensure successful transformation.

At ChangeSync, we help organizations turn change resistance into change resilience. Contact us today and let’s build a change-resilient workforce together.

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