The Value of Resistance
How to Turn Opposition into an Opportunity for Change Resistance to change is often seen as one of the biggest obstacles in change management and project delivery. When people question decisions, express concerns, or continue working in familiar ways, managers and project managers may feel that progress is slowing down. The natural reaction is to explain the benefits again, reinforce the urgency, or encourage people to move forward. But what if resistance is not simply something to overcome? What if it is valuable information that can help you make change more successful?
Susaan Demers-Ghajar
10/21/20264 min read
Resistance Is a Message, Not Just an Obstacle.
People rarely resist change without a reason. Their concerns may be connected to uncertainty, previous experiences, a lack of trust, or the fear of losing something they value. They may worry about their ability to perform in a new environment, their professional identity, their relationships with colleagues, or the quality of their work.
Sometimes resistance reveals practical problems that have not yet been recognised. A new process may look efficient on paper but create additional work in practice. A new system may promise better reporting while making everyday tasks more complicated. A new organisational structure may appear logical to management but disrupt the relationships that enable teams to deliver results.
When managers dismiss these concerns as negativity, they risk overlooking valuable insights. Resistance can expose weaknesses in a change initiative before those weaknesses become expensive problems. The first step is therefore to become curious rather than defensive. Instead of asking how to convince people to accept a decision, ask what their reactions are telling you about the change itself.
Understand What People Are Trying to Protect
Resistance is not always about rejecting the future. Sometimes it is about protecting something that works well in the present. An experienced employee who questions a new procedure may be protecting years of knowledge about customers, risks, or exceptions that are not documented anywhere. A team that hesitates to adopt a new way of working may have learned from earlier initiatives that promised improvements but created additional pressure. A stakeholder who challenges the project approach may be highlighting a dependency that has not received enough attention.
Listening to these concerns does not mean that every objection should determine the outcome. It means taking the time to understand the underlying issue before deciding how to respond. A useful distinction is the difference between a concern and the solution someone proposes. An employee may oppose a new digital system because they fear losing control over their work. Their preferred solution might be to keep the existing system. However, the underlying concern may be addressed through better training, clearer responsibilities, or opportunities to influence how the new system is implemented.
When you understand the concern beneath the objection, you create more possibilities for progress.
Use Resistance to Improve Your Change Approach
Resistance can become a powerful source of continuous improvement. Rather than treating feedback as a delay, use it to test your assumptions, improve your plans, and identify risks. Invite people to explain what they expect to become more difficult, what they believe might go wrong, and what would help them work effectively in the new situation. Ask questions that encourage honest answers instead of questions designed to obtain agreement.
This is particularly important during project planning. Project managers often focus on scope, timelines, resources, dependencies, and deliverables. These are essential, but they do not automatically reveal whether people are ready and able to work differently. Resistance may indicate that the project plan needs more time for consultation, practical testing, communication, or capability development.
Involving people early can help you discover problems while there is still room to address them. It can also create a stronger sense of ownership because employees can see how their knowledge has influenced the outcome. However, involvement must be genuine. Asking for feedback after every important decision has already been made can damage trust. Be clear about which elements are open to discussion, which decisions have already been taken, and why certain boundaries exist.
Make Stakeholder Management More Human
Not everyone experiences change in the same way. Some stakeholders may welcome the opportunity, while others may face additional responsibilities, uncertainty, or a loss of influence. Their reactions depend on their interests, their position, their relationships, and the impact the change will have on their daily work.
This is where the Stakeholder Mapping Toolkit™ from Susaan Consulting can support a more thoughtful approach. Stakeholder mapping helps you look beyond formal roles and identify who is affected, who has influence, where resistance may emerge, and what different people need to engage constructively.
Rather than using stakeholder management simply to secure approval, use it to understand perspectives and build meaningful involvement. Consider who needs information, who needs an opportunity to contribute, and who may need additional support to feel confident about the change.
Informal influencers deserve particular attention. A colleague without a management title may have considerable credibility within a team. If that person raises concerns, others may listen. Understanding their perspective can help you identify legitimate risks and engage the wider group more effectively. The objective is not to silence resistance or persuade everyone to agree. It is to build enough understanding, trust, and practical support for people to participate in the change.
Put People at the Centre of Change
Successful change requires more than a clear strategy, a sound project plan, or an improved process. It requires an understanding of the people who must make the change work in practice.
This is the principle behind the Human-Centered Change Method™ at Susaan Consulting. The method combines change and project management approaches with practical tools and essential human skills, including active listening, clear communication, and stakeholder engagement. It recognises that delivering a solution and helping people adopt that solution are connected, but different, responsibilities.
A human centered approach does not mean avoiding difficult decisions or allowing every objection to delay progress. Some decisions must be made, and some resistance will remain even after concerns have been addressed. The difference lies in how managers respond. They can impose change without understanding its impact, or they can make informed decisions while treating people's experiences and expertise as valuable input.
When people feel heard, they may become more willing to discuss their concerns openly. When their feedback leads to practical improvements, trust can grow. And when the reasons behind a decision are explained honestly, even people who disagree may find it easier to contribute constructively.
From Resistance to Opportunity
The next time someone questions your change initiative, pause before labelling their reaction as a problem. Their resistance may reveal a hidden risk, an overlooked stakeholder, an impractical process, or a need for better communication. You do not have to agree with every concern. You do have to understand it well enough to make a considered decision.
Change managers and project managers who approach resistance with curiosity can turn opposition into insight, improve implementation, and create outcomes that work better for the organisation and the people within it.
Do not ask only how to overcome resistance. Ask what it can teach you, what it can improve, and how you can use it to make change work better for everyone involved.
Discover the Human-Centered Change Method™ and explore the Stakeholder Mapping Toolkit™ at www.susaanconsulting.com. Find practical ways to understand stakeholders, address concerns, and put people at the centre of meaningful, sustainable change.