Making Change Work for You—Or at Least Not Against You

Abstract

Resistance is an automatic response by most people—managers as well as nonmanagerial employees—to change that is thrust on them. Resistance arises in large part from a feeling of helplessness in the presence of that which the individual cannot control. Change is resisted by most people because of centuries of conditioning that taught them to seek security in constancy. Today's security, however, more likely lies in flexibility and adaptability. The department manager has the difficult task of maintaining a positive attitude in the face of change, accepting that which cannot be controlled and providing a positive role model for employees. Although one may feel helpless in the presence of change, there is always part of the circumstances one can influence or control. People make change work for themselves by accepting what they cannot control and taking ownership of what they can control.