#5 Tantrums and Transformations: Overcoming Change Resistance

In this episode, we explore how to strategically use hype to overcome change resistance in ourselves and at our organizations—through the lens of why toddlers resist transitions.

Transcript

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What do change, toddlers, and we have in common? In the last episode, we talked about the power of creating hype, why pizza parties and placebo effects can keep us so invested in change. Today, we are leveling up. How do we wield that power strategically so change can be accepted when it's launched without the messiness of a backfiring? Welcome to Change Actually, a podcast about change in the workplace, in organizations, and in ourselves. I'm your host, Hilary Chan. I've spent years helping leaders, humans, including myself, and organizations navigate change, grounding what makes us human into practical strategies for individual and organizational growth. If this sounds like you, subscribe and follow the podcast. I've heard so many leaders share that they've struggled to launch a change that was supposed to revolutionize the way their employees worked, and in a really positive way too, often improving the employee experience and making work smoother. But after the launch, no one adopted it. It's a lose-lose situation. When I dig a little deeper, I sometimes find out that most of the employees were unaware that the change was being designed, or that it had launched at all. You might be thinking, what? How does that happen? Or you might be thinking, Yep, been there. This problem is far more common than you think. Here's what's happening. Many organizations fall into faulty assumption. They think, we have been hard at work on this change for months, maybe even years. Therefore, everyone must know it's coming too. Do they? You might also argue, sure, but if I made the mistake of assuming this, I can still release communications now at the launch date, and officially announce that the transformation has happened. Yeah, you can, but without proper notice, the change arrives as a shock to people's systems. Their work processes, their routines, everything will feel upside down even if the change is small, so to speak. The shock slows ramp up, increases frustration, and does not do much for preventing incomplete adoption. And that's why mastery in wielding hype is crucial to help with transitions. Take toddlers, for example. If you've ever spent time with toddlers, have you noticed when they're more likely to have meltdowns other than when they're exhausted? When they're in their current activity, whether it is playtime, mealtime, story time, nap time, whatever time, they're generally content, not fussy. The issue is rarely ever about the activity itself. It is the transition between the activities. And I hate to break it to you, but since being toddlers once ourselves, we really haven't grown out of these transitional meltdowns. It shows up differently, but still exists. Especially when it comes to life changes or enterprise transformations. Most organizational changes unfold in pieces. Design, pilots, partial rollouts, iterations, and feedback loops. A lot can happen behind the scenes before anything officially launches. The trap is in thinking that all of this is enough for people to understand and embrace the change. And the trick in wielding hype is similar to how we help toddlers, I mean ourselves, transition from the current to future state of transformation. It's the magic of countdowns. When you're telling a toddler there are 10 more minutes before the next activity, then five more minutes, one more minute, you are helping them transition. They may not really register the value of one minute, but somehow they're able to transition from one activity to the next with lessened chances of a meltdown. The same principle applies to us. In the corporate world or in our own personal lives, when we experience bigger changes, when we have to do things differently than before, we can use the same concept of a countdown as an opportunity to give ourselves and the end user a sense of time along with hype for what's to come. Let me explain. Without reminders, change stays abstract in the mind, no matter your age, and abstractness can create anxiety. Countdowns that are paired with relevant information on the benefits of a transformation is literally wielding the hype. It shows what one can look forward to, which can be exciting for the receiver. It also does more than just signal timing. It reduces uncertainty because such reminders bring the idea of the change into reality. And it preserves a sense of control in the person the change is impacting, even if they don't like the change, because they can have the time to think about how they will respond to the change. When people feel in control and less blindsided, the resistance becomes clearer and more constructive. You'll begin to find that your stakeholders might share more openly about what's bothering them about the change. You gain insight and trust from the stakeholders. All of this is essential to inform how you will visibly demonstrate the goodwill and the effectiveness of the transformation. That's how hype stops being fluff and how it's wielded into a tool that is part of your first aid kit to overcome resistance. Now, try applying it to yourself. What's an unavoidable change in your life right now, or in the life of someone you care about, that maybe you're not fully sold on yet? How might a hype integrated countdown help turn that shock into acceptable anticipation? If you liked this episode and want to stay posted on All Things Change, like, subscribe, and follow me on LinkedIn. Remember, transitions are tough no matter who you are. The good news is that hype and countdowns can be used together to turn a shock of change into readiness for change. That's change, actually.