If You’re Trying to Achieve Change in the Workplace, the ‘Change Prevention Committee’ is Ready to Block Your Efforts

Steve Katz  

Hi, everybody, and thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen in on our Hilco global smarter perspective podcasts. Welcome back to our return listeners. And for those who are just joining us for the first time, I’m your host, Steve Katz. Thanks for tuning in. Today, we’re joined by Robert Gorin, who’s managing director at Getzler Henrich & associates for discussion about the inherent resistance to change that exists within organizations, and how leadership can effectively navigate and accomplish needed change to move their businesses forward, even when that resistance is substantial and widespread. Rob, thanks for joining us on the podcast. I’m not sure there’s a more universally relevant topic than resistance to change right now. Certainly, if you’ve been around the corporate world for a while you’ve observed it firsthand, as I have over the course of my career. And yet, very rarely do you ever see, in essence, a clear roadmap presented for how to address change in the face of that resistance. So with that in mind, I’d like to start by defining what you call the change prevention committee, I found this very interesting way to describe that and that would be an entity that is you’d like to say is likely to exist within an any organization that seeking to affect change. Right?

Robert Gorin  

Absolutely. Thank thanks for having me today. Steve, I really am excited to, to dig into this topic. I think it’s as you said, it’s completely universal, and applies to so many factors of what we do in our lives and certainly help work. As you said, every company has a test to deal with these people, people are naturally resistant to change. And those folks who are resistant to change often come together, either as individuals or banding together as an actual group to form the change prevention committee. Be assured that this group will prevent your business from moving forward, if you don’t deal with them, you have to effectively convince people why change is good, not just for the company, but for them as as individuals as well, and how companies handle change is critical to their success if they keep moving forward, especially during periods like we’re in right now of high uncertainty. You know, a Greek philosopher, you know, once noted that life is in constant flux, and everything is always moving. It’s always going from the being on the verge of going from today to something different. And he wrote that this this resistance, this impacts the natural flow, and is a hindrance to progress and growth. And that applies both to us as people and to the corporations.

Steve Katz  

You know, I think it makes sense because it’s human nature hard at work, right? You, you can almost hear the voices of those people that your are saying are on this committee, that will be affected by the change thinking to themselves. I like my current role. I know how to navigate the existing internal landscape. Clients like it the way it is, we’re doing pretty well or they say things like things aren’t that bad. So how does that type of thinking translate into what becomes the formidable change prevention committee within an organization?

Robert Gorin  

It’s tricky, but it’s very manageable, right? Members range from the highest level of the C suite, to middle managers all the way down to the factory floor, it can be anybody. And it’s not a constantly changing group, it changes from as frequently as, as day to day. Together, these people aren’t become so resistant to change, that they collectively can stagnate corporate growth. Everybody needs to be aware of the of the CPC how they can show up at any time and be disruptive, and that they can be a bunch of disparate forces, or they can be a unified source of resistance. Regardless, they all form to thwart projects, whether they be big projects or small ones. And I think it’s important to further be aware that individuals may not even realize they’re part of the committee, they don’t even realize that they’re part of the change prevention committee. They’re just behaving naturally, as their brain tells them to. As you, as you mentioned, Steve, it’s really human nature. To resist change, we resist change at times. So rather than blame people and call them out and shame them, you gotta manage the resistance. You have to be able to help them get through the process, so that you can enable the change and for your company to continue to be competitive. And really to effectively manage the CPC, it’s essential to understand why people were chained. You know, why did they use this change in the first place?

Steve Katz  

Yeah, particularly interesting. I think that you find members of the C suite who are falling into that bucket. And I guess it’s not, it’s not surprising, necessarily, but you just wouldn’t, you’d think that you’d have the sort of the buy in of the C suite by the time you decide to undertake any significant changes. So I find that pretty interesting. So, you know, we talked about the human nature aspects. Beyond that, I’m sure there must be some science to why people are resistant as well.

Robert Gorin  

Absolutely. Right. And that’s the big, that’s the big question, right, Steve, isn’t it right? No matter where in the world you are, even if your current process or environment that you’re sitting in is flawed are less than optimal, or not even good for you. People resist change. And so we all we look at us, we look and say, why is that? Right? And it’s because regardless of the situation, people become comfortable with what they know, they become comfortable with the status quo. Given that understanding, right? The prospect of any change creates uncertainty, and that creates anxiety within individuals. Right? And right, this is when the CPC really kind of kicks into high gear, people tend to shy away from ambiguity. And they’re, you’re right there is there’s definitely science behind this wide ranging research shows us that in the human brain resistance manifests both psychologically and physiologically, right, it creates a number of, of reactions. And if you think about it, embracing change really forces us to think and act differently. And because of that, because we’re acting differently, it requires more brainpower, right? It’s not easy, it’s not rote, it’s not something where we’re comfortable with, we have to really kind of move harder becomes more more difficult. And when we’re faced with the challenge of doing something differently, are initial physiological reactions to keep everything in status, revert back to that which the brain is familiar, why change, if I know what I’m doing today, that becomes that becomes a big issue. And we know, humans have a great capacity to change. We’ve seen it throughout history, right? But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s in fact, just the opposite. It can be very difficult and painful. And think about it this way. There’s a reason why so many people and common, you know, common kind of knowledge says that the best way to grow is to move outside your comfort zone, it’s all associated with, if you stick with what you know, you’ll never, you never change. All of this kind of means that you need to expect resistance. With almost any change that you’re going to try to impact even small changes. It’s really it’s really very interesting, right? I’m going to update an office routine, I’m going to move by desks, you know what, you know, we rejigger the the office setting. I’m going to change titles, I’m even just going to change a meeting. It used to happen every Monday at one now it’s going to happen every Tuesday at nine on their own each of these changes, we say well, that’s not really a big deal. So what’s the issue, but but when you add them together, cumulatively, they account for a lot of of steps required to make changes, and cumulatively they create a lot of anxiety and stress for people. So if you think about how difficult the small changes are, just imagine the resistance when you’re trying to implement something like a seismic technology shift that causes widespread disruption across the entire corporate infrastructure system. Imagine how that impacts individuals and how their brains start to retreat now in a way that is comfortable for them. But I think I think the most important thing to understand is that there’s really good news. Once you understand the reasons why people resist change, I think we become empowered to really prepare for a successful transition.

Steve Katz  

Yeah, I’m sure almost everybody’s seen it across the course of their career and in different ways. And you bring up you know, those are great examples, that sort of little, small changes that you’d think would not be problematic at all, like even changing the type of a meeting that you’ve had for the last year. But let’s let’s just say I’m involved in in a big change initiative, one of the sort of the seismic ones that you’re talking about, within my organization, how do I go about identifying which individuals are on that change prevention committee, and what’s motivating them so that I can affect that kind of change?

Robert Gorin  

That’s, that’s an that’s critical. And it’s important to work that into your project plan, when you’re implementing the change, right to identify these people and have a process for dealing with them. And really, because the reasons for joining the CPC are so vast and varied. You got to learn how to identify its members, especially with the big shift that you’re talking about like it like a new software implementation, because you’ll find that they come in In many, many different forms, there’s really kind of two categories that I like to think about this in this kind of, if you will, a, the easier to spot folks who belong to the CPC. And, and these have a kind of more, they’re open about it more overt attributes that allow you to, you know, kind of pinpoint that person, as a member of the change prevention committee, you might find these people complaining about their new boss, you might find them loudly defending that I have a right to do this a certain way, because that’s the way I’ve always done it. And oh, by the way, it worked. So why are you forcing me to do it differently? Now, you know, if you find people that are bonding, over shared skepticism or sarcasm, of of a change, right, that’s a clear indication that’s like, now the committee is now the committee is starting to work together. And that’s even more worrisome, right? Or, or even something just as innocuous as individuals constantly whispering in the break room about something and not wanting others to hear, all of those things are ways, you know, things are very visible ways that you can see people who belong, whether they realize it or not to the change prevention committee. Then there’s the other side, which is even more difficult, right? These are the people that aren’t, aren’t overt, but they have more kind of passive aggressive, for lack of a better phrase, a passive aggressive approach to resisting change. And perhaps you’ve changed that meeting from Monday to Tuesday. And they continually forget to show up for the meeting. Because they don’t want to, they don’t want to be there. Or you have you have a meeting specifically associated to discuss the change, to discuss the change process like the like the technology that you were just mentioning. And they just missing those meetings. And that really is extremely impactful to the change process, because you’ve got to repeat yourself multiple times. And that’s, that’s just a waste of time and resources. Maybe they don’t respond to change associated emails. So you’re asking them questions, and it just never responding and giving you the data that you need, so that you can move forward. Maybe in group discussions, these people remain quiet or uninterested, or they sit in the corner and they just don’t participate. That’s a clear sign that somebody is uncomfortable with what’s going on around them, and doesn’t want to be a part of them. You know, and they’re doing all of this. And you might find that somebody who is a excellent worker, all of a sudden, they’re rigidly adhering to a 40, a 40 hour 40 Hour Workweek, I come in at nine I leave at five, doesn’t matter what I need to be doing doesn’t matter what’s expected of me, I’m just going to adhere to that timeframe, because that’s how I resist the change. And and I think one of the important things that leaders need to remember is that regardless of how people identify themselves, regardless of how they reveal themselves, you know, whether it’s overt or more passive aggressive, the roster is changing all the time, right, who’s in this committee is dynamic and ever changing. That means it’s not a once and done exercise for the leaders, you have to be constantly pinpointing members and make that part of it and make that part of your of your change plan, active and ongoing. It’s not it’s not something you can do at the beginning and then not worry about anymore. So why do people change? This is this gets This to me is the really interesting part. Like why why do people resist change? There are a number of reasons. Fear of the unknown is a big one, right? I understand today. I don’t understand it tomorrow. Maybe past experience, maybe the company didn’t handle a previous change in the best way that it could. Well, given that I’m going to assume you’re not going to handle today’s change, right either. And I’m going to resist nostalgia. We all romanticize the past. I’d love the good old days, even though they’re not. So maybe they weren’t so good. Right? That’s that’s a big issue. Lack of preparation. People need time to understand the change process what the change means, and to value the change for themselves. Right. So you’ve got to give people that time to buy in. A big issue is coercion. Often corporations just say we’re doing this change. That’s it, no questions asked. And you need to you need to adhere and get along and get on with the program. But if I’m an individual in the action feels unfair, or unjustified, are somehow targeted against me or my group. I’m going to be resistant, right? I need to understand the broader base of this. This whole kind of sense of exclusion. I know what I’m supposed to do today. I know, I know what I need to do now. Right? But if you change my environment, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be doing tomorrow. I don’t yet know. And you haven’t explained it to me. So I don’t know if the future includes me or doesn’t include me. self doubt is a big one. We all have self doubt. Right? Can I still be six cessful Well, I know what to do when the new world after the change has been implemented. And then ultimately, one of the big issues, right is peer pressure. What if everybody else is against the change? Maybe I should be too even if I think it’s a good idea. What if my boss isn’t is against it? How do I how do I be for the change in that scenario, so it’s truly important to understand how everybody around you is reacting as well, and how everybody around the change prevention committee is reacting, because that can drive unwanted behaviors.

Steve Katz  

Yeah, those are great examples really, really great. So I’m glad you took the time to run through so many of them, because that really, I think, could help you identify, you know, these change prevention committee members, and better understand why they change because there could be any number of reasons that they’re feeling threatened, or they have that sort of predisposed resistance to making the change you’re trying to achieve. So let me just throw this out there that, you know, it sounds like the key once you understand who comprises this group, and what motivates them is to in essence, move to I would imagine disband this committee, right piece by piece, you know, pull, sort of pull people out, based on the ability to address their concerns. How do you counsel clients, on the best way to achieve that, because I can only imagine it can’t be an easy process.

Robert Gorin  

It’s not easy at all, Steve. And we call this getting the members to give up their change prevention committee badges, right. And you’re right, you have to do it person by person. Because what motivates and drives individually is not the same thing that motivates, motivates and drives individual be. And I think it’s really important for leaders to understand it takes finesse, it takes patience, and it takes interpersonal skills, and listening, right. And this is where a good leader really earns, you know, his or her keep, right, because strong leadership is critical to disbanding the change prevention committee. But on top of that, you also need to provide a clear, concise and meaningful problem statement and scope of the change. What is the problem? What is the actual change? And how does that new change help us? Right? How does it help the company? And how does it help you? And what what we find as we go when we try to implement this change is that best practices are very focused on two things that I just mentioned, listening and communicating. Right? So you have to be observant, and you have to talk and you have to foster two way communication. So it’s going up and down the chain. Right? So how does that manifest, he got to give people a lot of notice, and you got to give them you got to be as transparent as possible about the change, don’t hide, get right out in front of the point to the elephant in the room, explain it to them, and give them time to understand, right? Make sure they know what the benefits are for them, as we discussed. As for them, and the entire corporation, how is life gonna be better on the other side of the change? And oh, by the way, what are the ramifications? If we don’t change? How does it impact me as an individuals, my organization, my department and the corporation as a whole, if we keep doing things the way we’re doing if we stay stuck in the status quo, and really understand the negative impact that lack of change will have on us. As we said, it’s really important. Coercion is just not going to get this done, right, forcing a change down people’s throats, isn’t going to get them to change in change in in a meaningful way. It is longer, and it is harder, but we have to be supportive. And we have to encourage the individuals throughout the process, right. So you really want to make them understand why they need to change and make them want to change rather than just simply forcing them to change. Even if you force them to change teeth, they might change. But I’ll promise you, as soon as we’re not looking, they’re going to revert back to old habits, you know, so taking the longer road will get you there will get you there for the long term. You’ve got to clearly lay out the process, what is the full change process that we’re gonna take? What are the steps? And how on how are we going to move through each of those steps, you know, timing, etc. And then I think ultimately, you want to hold multiple small group meetings, multiple individual meetings, give people the chance to speak up, make sure they understand it, it’s really kind of one of those, you know, we you know, people joke about, tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them and then remind them what you just told them. I mean, this is really about it’s about repetition and making sure they fully understand it and asking them to talk back to you and make sure that they’re understanding the change as you mean it.

Steve Katz  

Yes. And you know, as you’re going through that I’m thinking to myself, it seems it all seems very logical when you break it down. But I think if you’re undertaking one of these initiatives, and you’re so focused on what The outcome is going to be you sometimes forget about the need to involve people at the right stage or address addressing their concerns. So it is it is interesting though, that it sort of follows this logical, logical progression of how you’d want to include anybody in any situation if you were, if you’re going about doing something. So, for me, that’s a little bit of a revelation. So Rob, we’re unfortunately almost out of time, anything we didn’t cover, or final thoughts that you want to share before we sign off today.

Robert Gorin  

Yeah, thank thank you for that opportunity. Steve, I think it’s really important. If you want to be successful and change situations, you have to have an overall strategy for overcoming the resistance, right? And, and as hard as it is, for us as individuals, try not to be emotional about it yourself, try to understand how others are viewing this and walk a mile in their shoes. You know, one of the things I like to do when I’m brought into these situations, as I like, I’d like to know immediately, who are the biggest resistors to change, who is against this the most. And that’s who I like to put on the committee to implement the change. My goal is to take those resistors and get them emotionally and psychologically invested in the change, right? Make them feel like they’re part of it, listen to them, and ask them for their ideas, we find repeatedly that if you get those people involved early in the process, get them talking, let them vent, and then move on, then move forward on how to how to how to get the change implemented, and show them that you need them. Once those bigger dominoes fall, other members of the committee will very often agree and start to come in line or want to be involved want to be associated with the change. Right. So I think that’s kind of really important to make sure that people understand how instrumental they are. We need you for this. It’s really, really, it’s really, really critical. And then I think it’s further, really important to understand that change pulls people away from their comfort zones. Remember, we said earlier, right? The best way to grow is to step outside your comfort zone, right? So change pulls us away from those comfort zones. So again, make sure that the change, has clear steps, has clear milestones, and has clear measurable metrics. And when possible, link those metrics to incentives. As we all know, people behave the way we pay them, right. So the more you can do that, the more it kind of will fall into their line of thought where it makes sense for them to, to embrace the change, right? And then it sounds trite, but what gets measured, what gets measured, gets done. So make sure you’re constantly tracking. And you’re openly reporting on the progress. And most critically, celebrate all the celebrate all the successes, if it’s a little success and big success, particularly for those who are, you know, really resistant to change, make sure that we are calling out everything that is allowing us to move in the direction we move, right. And this is all critical, because if we don’t, we start to become less and less and less and less competitive. That’s why in the end, it’s so critical to address the change prevention committee.

Steve Katz  

Well, Rob, really interesting stuff. As you say, it’s not an easy task by any means. But obviously, it’s one well with worth undertaking. And obviously you need to undertake it to achieve what you’re seeking to achieve. So Through careful planning and methodical execution, it seems like it can be done. I really appreciate you joining us today. And unquestionably some of those who are listening in our discussion are either getting ready to undertake a change initiative within their business or are already in the thick of it right now, perhaps and experiencing the type of resistance that you’re talking about here today. How can those people get in touch with you if they have questions or want to discuss a particular situation or challenge they’re facing right now?

Robert Gorin  

Absolutely. Steve, first of all, thank you so much for this opportunity. As you can tell, it’s something I’m a little passionate about myself. I care a lot about it. And I think there are there is a path through to navigate through change. Happy to talk to any of our listeners that have additional questions about changes big or small. You can reach me by cell phone 917-696-5565 or anytime by email at Robert at RGorin @ Getzlerhenrich.com Which I’ll spell for you, R G O R I N @ G E T Z L E R H E N R I C H.com.

Steve Katz  

All Rob. Good stuff. Thanks again and listeners. As always, we hope that the smarter perspective podcast provided you with at least one key takeaway that you can put to good use in your business or share with a colleague or client to help make them that much more successful moving forward. And lastly, remember that you can always check out our other recent podcasts and a full archive of those previously. Recorded at hilcoglobal.com forward slash smarter dash perspectives or on your favorite podcast platform. Lots of good stuff there as well. All right, that wraps us up for today. Until next time for hilco global. I’m Steve Katz.