Why You Actually Want (Some) Resistors on Your Change Team
If you were to ask my colleagues for words to describe me, you’d probably get some adjectives along the lines of “positive” or “optimistic” or “hopeful.” I’d like to think I bring a consistent can-do attitude to the table and am relatively flexible when it comes to moments of change.
I might personally walk the line of toxic positivity, but in truth, healthy skepticism can be a good thing, especially when it applies to innovation and uncharted territory. Just ask 18 Coffees co-founder and stubborn, hesitant optimist Caleb Gardner, who recognizes that “there have been too many ways we’ve charged ahead as a society on a big idea, only to deal with the unintended consequences later.” Had there been more resistance from people speaking up earlier, we might have prevented these consequences sooner rather than later.
In an ideal world, every member of your team or organization is fully on board with your perfectly planned change initiative: no questions, no areas for improvement, no notes. But that simply isn’t reality, nor should we want it to be. More often than not, there will be someone on your team who says — either out loud or in their head — things like “this will never work” or “this is the way we’ve always done it” or simply “I don’t want to.”
Colleagues like this might initially sound like a headache, a stubborn nuisance out to block your progress. In reality, these resistors to change can be some of your best assets. So why might you want resistors on your change team?
A Second Opinion
As a change leader, you might assume that you know everything. But having a resistor on your change team ensures that you hear diverse opinions aside from your own, helping avoid potential problems and roadblocks later down the line. Resistors often have valid reasons for their hesitancy — giving them a platform to share their concerns, institutional knowledge, and unique point of view will not only strengthen your change team, but it can generate constructive dialogue that ultimately helps improve your end result.
Influence
If there’s one resistor, there are often more — but if you can get an influential resistor on board, they can help you show the rest of the team why your change initiative should be seen as a good thing. Inviting influential resistors to join your change team is a strategic exchange — it gives them a seat at the table (and an ego boost), and it offers leaders like you an advanced look at resistance in the earliest stages of your work.
The key to incorporating resistors’ feedback into your change strategy is ensuring their voices, your response, and the resulting actions remain constructive. It’s not only about finding the right resistor — it’s equally imperative to structure a change initiative that values resistance and criticism as a key part of its strategy. Yes, a toxic resistor who refuses to collaborate or hear differing opinions can negatively impact team morale and put progress at risk, but that openness should flow both ways. While your change team is responsible for driving progress and getting your change initiative across the finish line, they rely on leaders like you to build a healthy culture that values feedback and is open to considering an alternate approach. Once you welcome the right team member into this constructive environment, they will transform from resistor to promotor and become one of your most valuable assets.
Though you might intrinsically be hesitant to welcome a resistor or two into your change team, it’s worth hearing them out. These contributors are uniquely positioned to discover roadblocks and prevent unintended consequences to drive a more successful change initiative. If you’re a leader outlining your change team, check out our Changemaker’s Toolkit: Getting Started for self-guided exercises, hands-on worksheets, and real-life examples to help you bring your vision to life.
