The Tug of War between Change and Resistance Michael Murphy*

Resistance to change efforts in schools is natural, predictable, and possible to get beyond.

Resistance: Perfectly Predictable

Human attitudes and behavior toward any proposed change develop over the course of that change (Hall & Hord, 2001). Change often happens in three phases: initiation, implementation, and institutionalization (Michael Fullan, 2007). Initiation is the "process that leads up to and includes a decision to adopt or proceed with a change" (Fullan, 2007, p. 69), and this is typically where resistance initially appears. People confront the technical aspects of the change—what they perceive it will require them to do differently, and if the demands of the change will be overwhelming (Lawrence, 1969).  This "can I do it?" mentality grows as they are pushed to implement the new practices. During implementation, change can also shift the way people in the organization relate to one another (Lawrence, 1969). The social aspects of change can be dangerous and more confounding than the technical aspects, because many people have deep, personal reactions to changing "the way we've always functioned." Technical and social aspects often feed each other to fuel overt resistance.

Observe Others, but Alter Your Behavior

Thinking about the three phases of change and how they relate to human behavior enables leaders to anticipate resistance before it happens. Knowing that the technical and social aspects of change often compound resistance also helps predict the way practitioners may respond to what appears to be a logical, much needed change. Three strategies help leaders see how to adjust their behaviors to meet resistance head on.

Strategy 1: Give People What They Need

Closely observe the behavior of those affected by the change and then provide whatever that behavior signals these colleagues need—before the behavior turns negative. During the initiation phase, focus on the purpose of the change and be clear about the urgent reasons that a shift in knowledge or practice must happen. People are motivated by a sense of purpose_ by an understanding of the overarching rationale. They will seek connections between the work you're championing and the other work they're obligated to do. During implementation, leaders must notice what teachers need and have a thorough plan ready to support teachers as their understanding of new practices evolves. It's important that people experience short-term wins during this phase, so they'll be motivated to continue the work.

Strategy 2: Ask How It's Going

Practitioners will generally be eager to talk about the change and any concerns they have—if you ask them and truly listen. Then you’ll know how to address the biggest concerns. When concerns are met, people tend to cooperate with change and are motivated to work for full implementation (Hall & Hord, 2001). The most effective way to find out how the change is going: have a quick, casual conversation with each individual teacher.

Strategy 3: Keep the Change Formula in Mind

A simple formula to keep resistance to a nontoxic level (Beckhard & Harris, 1987): D x V x F > R (Dissatisfaction workers feel about the status quo, Vision for the change and how it will positively affect teachers and students, and First steps a worker must take to work toward the change, must be greater than the amount of Resistance put forth.) Leaders should consider how their actions and conversations strengthen teachers' awareness that the status quo isn't working (D), their vision for positive changes (V), and their level of comfort with their own first steps (F)—so these elements will outweigh resistance.

Beyond Tug of War

Leaders must become skilled in observing and responding to the first signs that unrest is brewing. In many cases, a leader's failure to strategize how to respond to pushback may actually nurture or accelerate resistance. Better planning for the pull toward change and better noticing of the opposing pull of resistance is the leader's job. When we change our own thinking and behaviors so we create an "us" that accelerates change together, we can end the tug of war.

References

Beckhard, R., & Harris, R. (1987). Organizational transitions: Managing complex change (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change (4th ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

Hall, G., & Hord, S. (2001). Implementing change: Patterns, principles, and potholes. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Huberman, A., & Miles, M. (1984). Innovation up close: How school improvement works. New York: Plenum Press.

Lawrence, P. (1969, January). How to deal with resistance to change. Harvard Business Review.

Powell, W., & Kusuma-Powell, O. (2015, May). Overcoming resistance to new ideas. Phi Delta Kappan, 96 (8), 66–69.

*(For full article, go to Educational Leadership Online June 2016 | Volume 73 How to Be a Change Agent Pages 66-70)