It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one that is most adaptable to change – Charles Darwin

The contemporary industrial world demands innovation from the companies to stay in the run and this demand has made the need of organizational change more prominent than ever. Many organizations have successfully gone through this change process and have achieved exponential growth and development. However, many still dread the process because of the resistance the process faces. First of all, one needs to understand that resistance to any change related process at the workplaces is quite normal and natural. Changing the work culture and process at the workplace can impact the sentiments of anyone, be it someone from the top level management or people working on the ground. It is in our nature to resist change and that is what makes the organizational change a very dreadful process for many.

Here is what one needs to know about the exact reason behind the resistance to change.

• We live by our habits – As humans, we define our lives by the habits we culture in our day to day routine. We tend to live in our comfort zones and do things within the same limit. In a research, it was found that humans are most comfortable in getting involved in highly repetitive activities every other day. This is one of the main reasons why people resist change and faces difficulty in managing it.
• Change inflicts stress and tautness – Change at the workplace can make the employees and team members anxious and stressed. The thoughts about how the change will impact their jobs, positions, roles and responsibilities and other related aspects make the employees insecure which consequently results in resistance to change. This happens mostly in the employees who have been associated with the organization for a very long time and have followed certain business projects.
• All we want is stability and certainty – Human brain craves for certainty and does everything possible that can help one in avoiding uncertain situations. Change in any organization can make the employees uncertain about the coming situations and might feel that their stability is at stake.
• We know that change can result in problems as well – In our daily lives, we always anticipate the results and mostly we expect the outcomes opposite to what we desire. This negative anticipation goes in the same manner when we talk about organizational change. Employees anticipate negative outcomes and ultimately resist change thinking it will create more problems than solutions.

Organizational change acts as the pillar in the journey of an organization which supports it and helps it in achieving the desired growth rates and profitability. Change is bound to face resistance however, it is important for the leadership to not get intimidated by it and handle it strategically for the success of the transformation journey.

Written and Compiled By Faber Kishlay and Faber Mayuri