Meeting Resistance
January 27, 2012 at 2:34 PM
I watched the movie Meeting Resistance this weekend. The documentary, produced by photojournalist Steve Connors and Molly Bingham, powerfully demonstrates the Iraqi resistance to US involvement by having Iraqi’s tell their own stories about why they were fighting the US invasion of their country. The movie shows how the US military failed to thoroughly understand the hearts and minds of the Iraqi’s and therefore met powerful and violent resistance when trying to create change.
For me, it was natural to relate the situation depicted in the movie to situations I often see while working with clients and client organizations. For example, Scott is the CEO of a large non-profit. He is an aggressive, growth-minded leader who is committed to advancing his organization’s cause. Fueled by his passion, Scott has been pushing the organization into new areas and therefore rapid growth. The staff, however, is pushing back – sometimes aggressively - by attacking him and his credibility. Scott is meeting resistance which will undermine the change is he is trying to create.
Sue is an up and coming leader in her organization. She is bright, successful, and completely overwhelmed by her workload. She is a self-described perfectionist and wants to be in the middle of all high profile projects. She fails to delegate to her team or opt out of projects even when she has the choice to do so. On the one hand, she wants to change. She wants to feel less overwhelmed and have more time with her family. On the other, she wants to hold tightly to the things on her plate. She too, is meeting resistance – hers is internal.
Like the US military as portrayed in the movie, what Scott and even Sue failed to see is that emotions run deep and create a powerful force of resistance against change. Whether it’s the strong nationalism of the Iraqis, uncertainty in Scott’s organization or deep seated fear of letting go for Sue, the emotional rivers that flow beneath seemingly logical changes will undermine the best designed plans for change every time. However emotions, when tapped appropriately, can create a strong motivating force to drive change. Consider how the long standing anger and passion in Libya propelled sweeping changes in their government.
The next time you face a change in yourself or your organization stop and ask;
- What do I or others care deeply about that might get in the way of this change?
- How will this change impact the people who I am asking to change?
- What fear, anger, sadness, or loss is the change likely to trigger?
- What’s compelling about the change?
- What makes this change important and what makes it important now?
- What’s the cost of not changing and what is to gain by doing so?
Whether you are leading change in your organization or trying to make a change in your life it is important to stop and recognize the role emotions play. Unless you understand and meet the resistance you will never be able to make a compelling case for change.