{"id":485,"date":"2017-06-10T23:05:40","date_gmt":"2017-06-11T03:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/?p=485"},"modified":"2019-04-05T19:05:04","modified_gmt":"2019-04-05T23:05:04","slug":"roots-resistance-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/roots-resistance-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Roots of Resistance to Change"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Roots of Resistance to change\u2014yours and clients\u2019\u2014can cause problems and distractions.<\/h1>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\">Reactions to change, whatever they are based on, are <strong>most disruptive<\/strong> when they arise between professionals and their prospects and clients, especially when a transaction is involved. Resistance to change is usually grounded in frustration, vulnerability, past experience, or miscommunication, <strong>not in change itself<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-size: 1.25em; margin-left: 2em;\">\n<li>Resistance can arise when the interests of one individual or group seem to be, or are, <strong>ignored, misinterpreted, or disadvantaged<\/strong> by others.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Entrenched roots of stereotypes and prejudice<\/strong> in one group may lead to other individuals or groups being labeled &#8220;resistant to new ideas or procedures&#8221; before they actually <strong>reveal their true reactions<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0000ff; font-size: 1.25em;\">Roots: Resistance to change is not always the wrong reaction, nor is it always negative.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\">Restraint may be the right approach when the change in question is <strong>not an improvement<\/strong>, carries <strong>overlooked ramifications<\/strong>, is <strong>not the best alternative<\/strong> to achieve desired results, or is <strong>more about professional gain than benefiting clients<\/strong>. Expertise and Forward Thinking are common resources for constructive resistance to change.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\">Predicting how individuals and groups will react to change remains a challenge for even the most sophisticated professional.<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\">To anticipate and constructively respond to client resistance to change, you must be conscious of how <i>you react<\/i>, especially when you don\u2019t initiate the change:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-size: 1.25em; margin-left: 2em;\">\n<li><strong>Have you always done it this way?<\/strong><br \/>\nExpect to uncover more opportunities and possibilities for yourself and your clients when you investigate the relevance of existing standards, policies, and other aspects of delivering services or products. This review of effectiveness may also reveal refinements that will improve delivery and client outcomes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Take a fresh look at what you do and why.<\/strong><br \/>\nToo often, incorporating technology, online options, and mobile computing does not capitalize on fresh new delivery and communication opportunities. For instance, incorporating social media and online networking, without shifting from an advertising \u201cI pay, I say\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m number one\u201d attitude to one that is genuinely open and interactive undermines the communication opportunity. <strong>Liberate your thinking from dated constraints<\/strong> and ensure context is aligned with clients\u2019 changing needs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do you go beyond the expected in every aspect of service?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Do not expect clients to modify their needs, so they can squeeze into your existing standard products and services.<\/strong> If you do, how do you rationalize the fact that clients will not be fully satisfied? <strong>Your competition may see your policy as their opportunity<\/strong> even if you miss the point.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is time on the job\u2014being in business for a decade or two, or outliving the competition\u2014the main reason you\u2019re a success?<\/strong><br \/>\nTime-built \u201cempires,\u201d particularly when saturated with \u201cwe\u2019ve always done it that way\u201d thinking, can be quickly undermined by shifting economies, converging trends, and innovative competition. After years establishing your reputation and your practice, it\u2019s easy to become complacent, even arrogant. Add to this pressure, the <strong>increasingly-changeable interests of clients<\/strong> themselves.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is chronological age the most significant target characteristic?<\/strong><br \/>\nWhy do so many organizations and professionals persist in categorizing clients and themselves\u2014by chronological age? <strong>Chronological age is irrelevant in this century.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Do you believe that broad demographic similarities in target clients and their situations tell you all you need to know to retain business and attract new clients?<\/li>\n<li>How do you ensure you don\u2019t miss significant opportunities arising from subtle differences in target clients and their situations\u2014some they may not be aware of themselves?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>New roots: This is the Age of The Individual.<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\"><strong>Emphasis should rest on \u201cindividualizing\u201d <\/strong>services and products, online and off. Use technology to tailor content and process to individual goals, needs, and styles. Engage social media to make your listening and clients\u2019 feedback more effective. Demand more from your contributions and expertise.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\">The economic turmoil of this century was <strong>caused by the flawed thinking of individuals who had power and felt little accountability<\/strong>. The mediocre who followed them added to the collapse. A lot has happened since then. <strong>In your industry or profession, what has really improved for clients?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\">Experience may teach some professionals or clients how to set the stage when <strong>fresh thoughts and clear analysis\u2014Forward Thinking\u2014<\/strong>are required. What we experience raises awareness of how various aspects of life influence us as individuals\u2014our thinking, self-worth, values, sense of humor, productivity, decision making\u2026.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.25em;\">For other professionals or individuals, similar experience may obscure the why behind how they act and react, and what they believe and value, and, therefore, entrench resistance to change. <strong>How we consciously react to what happens to us can build barriers or open minds to influence behavior and decision making. It\u2019s our choice.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Excerpt from &#8220;What\u2019s Your Point?&#8221; by PJ Wade<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>For more on improving client relationships and results:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thecatalyst.com\/blog\/clients-demand-pay-attention-earn-trust\/\">Clients Demand: Pay Attention To Earn Trust<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/thecatalyst.com\/blog\/10-tips-for-complex-decisions-made-simple\/\">10 TIPS for Complex Decisions Made Simple<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Back to HOME&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\">TheCatalyst.com<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Roots of Resistance to change\u2014yours and clients\u2019\u2014can cause problems and distractions. Reactions to change, whatever they are based on, are most disruptive when they arise between professionals and their prospects and clients, especially when a transaction is involved. Resistance to change is usually grounded in frustration, vulnerability, past experience, or miscommunication, not in change itself: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,72,6,21],"tags":[103,102],"class_list":["post-485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-all-in-context","category-client-retention","category-leverage-your-expertise","category-on-point-communication","tag-reactions-to-change","tag-resistance-to-change"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Roots of Resistance to Change &#8211; What&#039;s Your Point? asks PJ Wade The Catalyst<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Roots: Resistance to Change is usually grounded in frustration, vulnerability, past experience, or miscommunication, not in change itself.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecatalyst.com\/blog\/roots-resistance-change\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Roots of Resistance to Change &#8211; What&#039;s Your Point? 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