Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/826899
48 • JUNE 2017 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Resistance is your friend BY RANDY PENNINGTON There is always one; often there are several. You know… the ones who resist every change. If you are lucky, they adopt a neu- tral wait and see position. More likely, they find the most inconvenient time to raise a question or make a comment that disrupts your plans. You might write off the first in- stance of open resistance as the awk- ward execution of an honest attempt to offer a helpful insight. By the third time, you are dread- ing the change because it means cer- tain battle with "them." While you might like to scream… or worse… chances are that your re- sponse to resistance is one of the fol- lowing: • Reason with them. You explain the good business reasons why the change makes sense. They might lis- ten. They might even agree with you. They might also counter with something so ludicrous that there is no rational response. • Bargain. You offer them some- thing in return. "If you support this, or at least not openly resist it, I will…" Bargaining can buy you the support you need from that person or group, but the potential for negative reaction is enormous if word gets out that you are bargaining for support. • Manipulate. You attempt to manage the circumstances so that the resistors have no choice but to stay neutral or support the change. This is a high-stakes game that will result in even greater resistance and long-term mistrust when, not if, it is discovered. • Use power. You mandate com- pliance, and the result is malicious obedience. The resistance doesn't go away. It just becomes more difficult to detect. • Ignore. You direct your energy toward the vast majority who support the change in hopes that the resistors go away. The problem is that many resistors respond to being ignored by talking louder. There is hope if your resistor will listen to reason. Beyond that, no one wins when you bargain, manipulate, use power, or ignore. In fact, the resistance often be- comes worse when people decide to step up their open resistance or go un- derground by adopting guerrilla tac- tics to undermine you. The question that creates another way Do the people who work with you – or at least most of them – want to be successful and do a great job for the customers you serve? If the answer to that question is yes, then resistance becomes your friend. It represents a legitimate con- cern or fear from those involved. As the leader, wouldn't you want to know those things? How to make it work The natural reaction to open resis- tance is emotion. They push you, and you want to push back. The secret to using resistance as a tool for positive change is to pull rather than push. You pull by asking questions that bring concerns and fears to the sur- face. Instead of immediately stating your pre-developed talking points, ask the individual to provide more de- tail about why they think the change won't or can't work. It may take time to convince your resistors that you value their ideas and input. There may be years of mistrust and the perception that their ideas are not valued. Resistance is natural. If there is no resistance there is no real change. Pushing back against it creates barriers. Actively engaging and lis- tening builds bridges that allow you to involve others in developing better solutions. Use this response and ques- tion when you hear a concern or fear: "I appreciate you sharing that. How would you address that if you were me?" Not everyone will move from be- ing a perpetual naysayer to a partner in making the change work. There will still be times when you must be the leader and state the course of ac- tion. In those situations, move for- ward knowing that your honest at- tempts to use resistance as your friend builds your credibility with the vast majority of followers who want to help you succeed. Remember: People want to feel that their contributions matter. They will volunteer their commitment to leaders and organizations that en- gage their head and inspire their heart for a meaningful purpose. You move one step closer by making resistance your friend. Randy Pennington is an award-winning author, speaker, and leading authority on helping orga- nizations achieve positive results in a world of accelerating change. To bring Randy to your next meeting, vis- it www.penningtongroup.com, e-mail info@penningtongroup.com, or call 972-980-9857. World Fence News, Jr. Page Ad 7.25" x 9" PLEASE CENTER IN THE LIVE AREA