Re: Resistance to Change LO1237

Bernard Girard (bgirard@Dialup.FranceNet.fr)
Tue, 16 May 1995 09:12:53 +0000

Replying to LO1210 --

Replying to my post on resistance to change, Dickover - Melvin E. writes:

>What we are discussing here is what to do when change needs to be made.

Of course, but what does it mean? Who is to say the change needs to be
made? You know as well as I do that change is often controversial. What
looks necessary to some (the boss, usually, or one of the bosses) does not
look so important to others (workers, usually, but sometimes other bosses
in the company).

Those who say "no" to change often have good motives to do so :
- they are afraid to lose something they have,
- they are afraid of the uncertainty,
- they don't want to spend a lot of time learning something new for no
compensation,
- they don't trust what we tell them because they have a long story of lies.

One likes change when he sees opportunities for himself in it : promotion,
raise or whatever... One resists when he sees no opportunities. In most
litterature on consulting, resistance to change is considered as
irrational. In fact, it is often rational for those who resist. We should
always remember that workers are not machines, they are rational agents
who calculate what's good for them.

--
Bernard Girard
bgirard@Dialup.FranceNet.fr (Bernard Girard)