Framework
Kanter's ten reasons people resist change
The question it answers
When staff push back on a planned change, how can a manager tell what they fear losing and respond to each concern?
- Origin
- Kanter, 2012
- Diagram type
- Comparison table
- Level of analysis
- Individual
- Topics
- Change management
Diagram
Kanter's ten reasons people resist change
| Criterion | Leader response |
|---|---|
| Loss of control | Offer choices and invite people into planning |
| Excess uncertainty | Clear process, short steps, milestones |
| Surprise | Avoid secrecy and ask for input early |
| Everything seems different | Keep much that is familiar |
| Loss of face | Honour the past |
| Concerns about competence | Train, coach and run old and new in parallel |
| More work | Recognise and support |
| Ripple effects | Check knock-on effects on other areas |
| Past resentments | Repair relationships before changing |
| Real threats | Be honest, quick and fair |
Sources
References
Listed A–Z by author surname, Harvard style. A source with a DOI links to https://doi.org/…; one without links to its page or says plainly that it has no DOI.
- Kanter, R.M. (2012) Ten reasons people resist change. Harvard Business Review online.No DOIhbr.orgSource page