10 Ways to Mitigate Resistance to Change
Resistance to change is natural—it’s how the human brain protects us from uncertainty and perceived loss. But resistance is also valuable. It tells us where understanding, capability, or trust may be missing. When organizations use resistance as data rather than judgment, they gain insight into how to accelerate adoption and reduce project risk.
Below are ten proven ways to mitigate resistance, grounded in the Managed Change™ Methodology, with examples from real-world applications.
1. Start Early Principle: Resistance begins where uncertainty begins.
Example: During an SAP implementation for a manufacturing firm, the Change Management team was engaged only after configuration was complete. By that point, design decisions had already created confusion for plant operators who discovered their workflows would change dramatically. When the same company launched a subsequent HR transformation, the change team was brought in during design. They helped align HR, IT, and operations on key process differences before finalizing requirements—eliminating nearly 70% of the rework and pushback experienced in the earlier program.
Takeaway: Early engagement prevents downstream resistance and costly redesign.
2. Involve People in the Process Principle: People support what they help create.
Example: A financial institution forming a new operating model invited employees from different departments to participate in “future-state working sessions.” Instead of leadership deciding roles and responsibilities alone, teams co-designed job workflows. When the model was rolled out, adoption was smooth because employees saw their fingerprints on the solution.
Takeaway: Involvement shifts the narrative from “change is happening to me” to “I helped shape this.”
3. Identify Key Roles Principle: Everyone plays a role—Sponsor, Change Practitioner, or Target.
Example: Using a Key Role Map, a global pharma company identified that middle managers were both targets (their reporting structure was changing) and sponsors (they had to lead their teams through it). Without recognizing this dual role, their hesitation might have stalled the project. Once identified, they received dedicated coaching to resolve their personal concerns before communicating with their teams.
Takeaway: Mapping roles prevents gaps in sponsorship and ensures each level of the organization is aligned.
4. Clarify the “Why” Principle: People rarely resist the what—they resist the why they don’t understand.
Example: When a healthcare network implemented a new patient record system, initial communication focused only on timelines and training. Nurses and physicians resisted, citing “another IT rollout.” Once the sponsor reframed the message to emphasize improved patient safety and reduced paperwork—linking the change to their daily mission—adoption rates increased.
Takeaway: Purpose fuels engagement. Connect the change to what matters most to your people.
5. Assess Readiness and Risk Principle: Resistance can be predicted and planned for.
Example: Using the Critical Change Variables Analysis, a utilities company measured the risk of acceptance across six factors—leadership alignment, stakeholder readiness, culture, history, communication, and resistance. Results revealed that field technicians had the highest resistance risk due to safety concerns and limited access to digital tools. The team created a targeted mitigation plan involving hands-on demos and peer champions.
Takeaway: Data-driven assessment helps you prioritize effort where it will have the most impact.
6. Tailor Communication Principle: One message doesn’t fit all.
Example: During a corporate restructuring, executives received strategic updates via leadership briefings, while front-line staff received short video messages showing how changes affected their daily work. Managers were equipped with discussion guides to personalize the conversation during team meetings.
Takeaway: Match the message, tone, and channel to the audience’s needs and role in the change.
7. Build Capability, Not Just Awareness Principle: Resistance often hides behind “I don’t know how.”
Example: A logistics organization introduced a new dispatch system but initially trained employees in four-hour blocks. Feedback showed many were overwhelmed. The team redesigned the training into 10-minute modules, delivered by supervisors at the start of each shift. Within two weeks, confidence scores rose by 40%, and errors decreased by half.
Takeaway: People adopt what they feel capable of doing—make learning practical and timely.
8. Reinforce and Recognize Progress Principle: What gets reinforced gets repeated.
Example: After launching a new sales process, one company tracked adoption metrics and highlighted top-performing teams during monthly all-hands meetings. Leaders shared short stories about how the new process helped close deals. Recognition drove healthy competition and normalized the new behaviors.
Takeaway: Celebrate visible wins early to create momentum and show that the change is working.
9. Address History and Culture Principle: Past experiences shape today’s reactions.
Example: A university implementing new financial systems faced skepticism due to a failed rollout years earlier. Leadership openly acknowledged the past missteps and shared how governance, testing, and communication had been redesigned. They also created a Change Headquarters—a single hub that housed all communications, tracked progress metrics, and provided a safe source for asking questions. This transparency rebuilt trust and encouraged participation.
Takeaway: Acknowledge the organizational story. People trust change when they see lessons have been learned.
10. Support Leaders in Sponsoring Change - Principle: Inconsistent leadership is the fastest path to resistance.
Example: A regional bank provided Sponsor Coaching sessions to all executives before launching a customer service transformation. Leaders practiced key messages, learned to recognize early signs of resistance, and committed to visible sponsorship behaviors—like attending town halls and sharing personal stories of adaptation. The result was a noticeable increase in employee confidence and project credibility.
Takeaway: Equip leaders to model commitment and maintain alignment; their behavior sets the tone for adoption.
Final Thought
Mitigating resistance isn’t about eliminating discomfort—it’s about managing the risks that prevent people from moving forward. Every sign of hesitation provides data: where clarity is missing, where skills need strengthening, and where leaders must step in. When organizations listen, anticipate, and act on that data, resistance becomes an asset—a guide that helps change happen faster, smoother, and with greater sustainability.
👉 Looking to strengthen your organization’s change capability?
Join an upcoming LaMarsh Managed Change™ Workshop, or contact us to explore how we can help you build internal capability, reduce resistance, and achieve measurable adoption results.