Comments on: Why We Resist Those Who Resist Change

By: Christopher Biggs

Christopher Biggs — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:03:39 +0000

Currently, one can only negotiate peace unless you have the hawkish leverage. Perhaps, itâ€™s a matter of maturity across cultures. Success and power are inextricably tied together, today. Says something for benevolent dictators. I do not advocate dictators but look forward to greater maturity in our negotiations processes where dovish solutions are given weight in long term decisions.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:41:36 +0000

For me, the author’s reference to the necessity of being aware of “subtle openings for dialogue” is key to surmounting our tendency to reach for the club first.
‘More of the same’ (reaching for the club) oddly continues to be a favorite / first approach in most situations that I experience regardless of after-action reviews / post-mortems.

Excellent article. Thanks Rick.

The ‘Want To Know More’ link is worth a look. In the interest of saving time, here is the content.

Why Hawks Win Want to Know More?

For an introduction to the study of biases in decision making, consult Rational Choice in an Uncertain World: The Psychology of Judgment and Decision Making (Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 2001), by Reid Hastie and Robyn M. Dawes, and Judgment in Managerial Decision Making, 6th ed, (Hoboken: Wiley, 2006), by Max Bazerman.

For a more technical treatment, see Heuristics and Biases: The Psychology of Intuitive Judgment (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002), edited by Thomas Gilovich, Dale Griffin, and Daniel Kahneman, a rich collection of current research on psychological biases.

More than 30 years after its publication, Robert Jervisâ€™s Perception and Misperception in International Politics (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976) remains an important summary of the implications of psychology for global affairs. Philosopher Slavoj Zizek tries his hand at analyzing the psychology behind the Iraq war in â€œIraqâ€™s False Promisesâ€ (FOREIGN POLICY, January/February 2004).

By: Azah

Azah — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 03:25:21 +0000

It is not an easy job trying to convince people to accept changes. People will see “what is in it for them”.Hence, we should have the ability to make them understand the benefits of change to themselves if they accept instead of resist the change.

One of the way to get them listening (first) to the proposed changes is by involving the top management’s commitment. The “selling” of required changes has to come from the top management otherwise it is worthless to push through the change.

By: Hector Santana

Hector Santana — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:30:47 +0000

I agree that there are no easy answers. But, when dealing with change, I have found that the chaos theories help a little bit better than what we may expect. One particular point on dealing with chaos is that we should look for some sort of forms so we can define some actions to control the situation base on those forms that we are identifying; always looking at the direction that the change is pointing.

It is natural for people to stay where they fill comfortable and not to try something new. This is, in fact, one of the reasons for the resistance that managers find when dealing with change and of course people reaction to the word â€œchangeâ€ makes things worst.

However, one very important step when dealing with resistance is your position toward the change. If people fill that your position is not a solid one, the resistance will take place instead of the acceptance. When you present a solid position, people tend to â€œrelaxâ€ their positions a little bit to try that new idea and this is the moment for you to direct the way into the change.

By: Angela

Angela — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 15:32:33 +0000

There is no easy road to anything. Change is going to happen with or without conflict. I agree with this article, and it is good advice to see all sides of the situation. I have also found that when doing this, you can ‘win’ over both sides, which makes the change easier in the end. However, nothing happens magically overnight, it does take some time.