We have all struggled with major change initiatives such as business process redesign and the implementation of new information technology. To implement sustained change, we must translate our initiatives to implications for each individual who will be affected. This is a key reason why change programs always take longer than we think they will. And when we speak of individual change, the discussion must turn to resistance. In this article, we want to share lessons learned about resistance from organizations that consistently deliver their major change projects on time, within budget and with full capture of the benefits they had forecast.
Significant change is a disruption in our expectations about the future.
The distinction is whether or not they like the change.