Any manager overseeing a space transition project will have battle stories to share. There will be many different experiences and many other outcomes. However, one common experience every manager going through the space transition process will share is dealing with resistance to change. This article offers some guiding principles for success.
Change management, a buzzword in today’s business world, is at the heart of managing and responding to the human phenomenon known as resistance to change. However, it wasn’t until close to the 21st century that change management became formalized as a discipline. Until then, studies sought to understand how humans experience and react to change. In the early 1900s, cultural anthropologist Arnold Van Gennep introduced three stages of change:
Throughout the 20th century, many other scholars built upon this framework, adding insight that would form a complete understanding of the psychology behind the often complex and seemingly baffling responses people exhibit to even the most positive change. These studies provided a solid foundation of human behavior that eventually entered the business world toward the end of the 20th century.
Perhaps no individual struck a nerve like Dr. Spencer Johnson, author of the now-immortalized 1998 tale Who Moved My Cheese? Johnson took the concept of change and broke it down into basic principles related to fear and comfort zones. He did this through a parable-like story that he applied to personal and professional settings. With change management firmly introduced into the business setting, the stage was set for it to become a formal business practice in the early 21st century. And that is precisely what has happened.
But what does any of this have to do with space transition? Transition equals change. “transition” means “movement, passage, or change from one state to another.” Movement from an enclosed office to a new workstation. From quiet to hubbub. From dedicated space to shared space. From the known to the unknown.
Many studies describe, in great detail, the physiological response of the human brain to the prospect of the unknown: the effect on the basal ganglia, the pre-frontal cortex, and so on. Any change – whether at work or home, personal or professional – is perceived by the brain as a potential risk to survival.
Thus, humans are hard-wired to resist change. The brain responds with “fight or flight”! And as flight is generally not a desirable option in an office transition environment, a fight often ensues. Think back to when you bought a new car or house or adopted a puppy and suddenly became overwhelmed with fears and remorse. The decision most likely proved good; the brain processed the change as it prepared to adapt to the “new normal.”
In this context, it is helpful to learn that resistance to change can be very healthy rather than a maladaptive attempt to thwart authority or undermine management. What can be done to address resistance to change when implementing a workplace solution, including any space transition program?
Several years ago, I was asked to lead nationwide focus groups for an organization considering overhauling its performance appraisal system. As I met with the employees, it became clear that the proposed change represented different risks to different people, that there was an overall culture of mistrust, and that while employees didn’t necessarily disagree with the change – they feared it.
From that experience, I developed three guiding principles that I have subsequently seen successfully applied in organizations about to undergo a space transition. They are as follows:
This article will help remove some of the dread from the mere thought of dealing with resistance to change. Like any workplace challenge, with the proper understanding, approach, and tools, what may seem like a bunch of lemons can often become the proverbial lemonade. Stay positive, build trust, draw out the resistance, and engage your employees. Chances are, you’ll all be celebrating the change together in no time.