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Every Leader, Manager and Entrepreneur I know faces resistance. What are a few strategies for overcoming resistance?

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Question added by Fazal Ebrahim Dawood , Chief Executive Officer , Stardist Ltd
Date Posted: 2014/01/05
Ahamed Shareef
by Ahamed Shareef , Divisional Head - Quality Assurance , Apollo Tyres Ltd

To overcome resistance - best strategy is understanding the common ground where manager and team members / peers goal meet. The decisions of a manager is helping team member / peer achieve his goal, they will never resist.

Identify such common ground of both in goals, to win the confidence of the other....!!

Motivational methods also play a role in getting acceptance of larger crowd.....

Mohammad Tohamy Hussein Hussein
by Mohammad Tohamy Hussein Hussein , Chief Executive Officer & ERP Architect , Egyptian Software Group

- Invent options for mutual gain

- Insist on using objective criteria

- Separate people from the issues

- Focus on interest

Ramendra Sunder Sinha PMP
by Ramendra Sunder Sinha PMP , DGM Planning , Gaur Sons Limited

Better Stakeholder Management can help in not only overcoming resistance but also reducing the same considerably.

All Stakeholders should be :

1)  Identified

2)  Communicated

3)  Involved

4)  Their concerns, needs & aspirations have to be protected and fullfilled in best possible way.

 

Please note that Poor Stakeholder Management is not only a major cause of resistance but is also a cause for failure of projects.

Kasif Iqbal
by Kasif Iqbal , Executive Assistant to MD & Pro-Chancellor , Skyline University Nigeria

Resistance is the sign of negativity or hurdles which the top management faces every now and then. The strategies vary with the kind of resistance one faces. The best strategy to overcome any resistance within an organization is to replace the word "Resistance" with "Responsibility". If the manager or leader understands his responsibility towards the company, its people and society, then very unlikely he is vulnerable for any resistance.

Jean Pierre Alain
by Jean Pierre Alain , Executive Group Food & beverages Manager , Sun Hotels Group

Address it formally

Identify the causes

Engage senior managers to sort it out

NASIR Mehmood
by NASIR Mehmood , Manager , Honeywell Aerospace

 

Resistance can threaten to derail the most positive change efforts, if gains a foothold on a large scale. It’s imperative to understand why people resist change. 

 

- Self Interest

 

- Low Tolerance to Change

 

- Different assessment of the situation

 

- Misunderstanding/Communication

 

 

Once we understand the reasons of resistance to change, we are now better equipped to employ a mix of strategies to counter any negative forces.

 

- Raise awareness and communication

 

- Participation - Multi tier approach (if necessary)

 

- Facilitation and Support

 

- Negotiation and agreement

 

- Manipulation and cooptation (careful selection of leaders for resisters)

 

- Explicit and Implicit Coercion

 

 

Development of action plan and follow up plays a vital role in ensure sustainable change.

 

Fuad Hijazi
by Fuad Hijazi , Logistic Manager , National trading &Distribution Com

Resistance to change is best viewed as a normal reaction. Even the most cooperative, supportive employees may experience resistance. So, don't introduce change believing that you will experience nothing but resistance or that resistance will be severe. Instead, introduce change believing that your employees want to cooperate, make the best of each work situation, and that they will fully and enthusiastically support the changes as time goes by.

By your thinking and your approach, you can affect the degree to which resistance to change bogs the change down. You can reduce natural resistance to change by the actions you take and how you involve the employees who will be asked to change.

Mushtaque Rahamat
by Mushtaque Rahamat , Supply Chain Manager , DR GROUP PTY. LTD

The question is what kind of resistance he/she face. There are various kinds of resistance namely few would be -change, loss of power, comfort zone, loss of job/business, competition, future and many more. The best way which i always recommend is -communicate, respect, share and care. Communication is the best tool the leaders/ managers and entreprenuers will have in abundance, then comes respect, compassion. We normally do tend to communicate but in fact we give orders. This is not communication happens when you allow free flow of ideas, open talk- heart to heart.

The next step would be barter- give and take. People do fear about their job, position, future and we all do. The change agent must have plausible action plan which would lure resistors in to buying you idea. And use them to get in others. However there still be some who will oppose for the sake of oppostion. And for such kind do what it takes to get them out of your way.

 

IRPHAN GHANI
by IRPHAN GHANI , Senior Management , A

Mostly people resist when they are not heard. So by developing the skill of listening it will act as an enabler to lower the resistance.

Mohammed Hayat Ahmed
by Mohammed Hayat Ahmed , Team Lead-IT DataCenter Operations , Confidential

Resistance is All about the Ability to Withstand in all Kind of situations. To achieve this A Leader Must Have a Dynamic personality along with High Level of Practical Ability.He must also should be in a position to Demonstrate his ability when ever required Because Leader leads by an Example.

Harigovindan Kurumampetta Sreekumaran
by Harigovindan Kurumampetta Sreekumaran , Assistant General Manager , VKL Seasoning Pvt. Ltd

1)Share a compelling vision that enthuse people

2)communicate the brighter side of change 

3) walk the Talk

4) Convert- In any restistance  there would be  1)active resistance ,  2)passive resistance and  3)people who accept change. Try to convert1&2 to3

5) celeberate small success so that people feel that you are taking them in right direction

6) Show gratitude/ recogonize  people for  their role in change

 

 

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