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But why? do people cling to outdated work methods?

When I speak with project or program managers who are involved with the roll-out of new technology, the topic of user resistance to change always comes up, and particularly in the context of how big of an inconvenience it is. Often, while the program manager realizes that it requires some attention, I can sense that they really don’t understand where the resistance is coming from. It is so obvious to the average IT professional that the new technology is better; why won’t people see that?

In part - and in the IT professional’s defence, this disconnect is caused by a massive imbalance in information and understanding. The IT project staff have been involved, often from the very beginning, with the business requirements analysis, with the work flow design, with the vendor selection, and with the configuration. They are now so intimately familiar with all the features and benefits of the new technology, that they simply cannot understand why anyone would prefer to continue to work with the old system. Of course, many front-line users are unaware even that a change may be underfoot ... they’re just going about their business, doing their jobs.

Imagine now a scenario where the communication around, and training on, the new technology is left in the hands of these same IT professionals. The levels of impatience with and incomprehension of the roots of the resistance to change would soon rise to the boiling point, and I doubt very much that the hapless front-line worker would not pick up on the vibe and highly resent it. Needless to say, this does not help create an environment conducive to learning. Thankfully, most companies realize that ‘encouraging people to adapt to change’ requires a different skill set, and either in-house staff is engaged, or an external change management consultant is hired.

But why? Where does the resistance often come from? When systems have been around for a long time, with numerous patches and add-ons over the years, often running on mainframes, in a non-Windows environment, the amount of effort and resourcefulness the front-line user has put in over the years, just to get the system to work for her, is considerable. A lot of creativity goes into inventing work-arounds, and a lot of peer respect is generated when you can share those clever tips and tricks with your colleagues.

As a result, there is a huge emotional attachment to the old system, even if there is a rational understanding that the old system needs replacing. And it’s that emotion that underpins the reluctance to ‘give it all up and start from scratch’. There is power in knowing that you’ve mastered an unwieldy and cantankerous system. Take away the system, and you take away the power.

The key to a breakthrough lies in acknowledging the efforts and successes of the past. Of ‘deconstructing’ how and why a work method developed over time, and giving front-line users credit for having kept things going for so long. After all, as the saying goes, “most workers get things done in spite of the systems the company provides”. If you can energize front-line users’ creativity and resourcefulness to start exploring the possibilities - and flaws - of the new technology system, the battle is half won.

Last updated on Feb 24, 2009 at 04:07 PM
Category: Managing Change
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