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To lead change in your organization, you must be able to spot team change resistance. Sometimes it will be obvious in statements like, “We don’t want to do this…”. Yet that is rare. You are more likely to hear objections that are disguised as logic. Don’t be fooled. Look for the following cues to clearly see the team change resistance you are facing.

Team Change Resistance Disguised as Logic. Image by Trevor Patt via Flickr Creative Commons License.

Image by Trevor Patt via Flickr Creative Commons License.

Team Change Resistance Disguised as Logic

As you start outlining the changes that the organization wants to make, be ready for resistance from your teams. Change doesn’t come easy. It is rare for teams to be thrilled unless it’s a change they’ve been wanting for a long time. Moreover, they may not be direct in their change resistance out of fear that you may not see them as valuable going forward. Therefore, they may disguise their team change resistance in logical objections.

Change Resistance Objections Disguised as Logic

1. We are understaffed as it is. These new changes don’t make sense given our staffing level.

2. We’ve never done this before and don’t have the skills and knowledge for it.

3. This timeline doesn’t allow for procurement, training, and successful implementation.

4. These changes undo everything we’ve built up to this point. They destroy our success.

5. The technology changes you mention are completely foreign to us. We won’t be able to sell and help our customers with a system we don’t know how to use.

Key Takeaways From This Post

• Spot team change resistance and don’t panic when you hear it. Hidden within each objection is valuable information you need to lead change.

• Reassure the team you will address these issues together. As a team, you will make plans on how to proceed.

• Read the two related blog posts on leading change noted below for specific steps to take.

Leading change and leading morale are my passions and focus. I welcome your comments and questions in the comment section below.


From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™

Related Posts:
Leading Change Lesson: Speak Obvious Truths!
Change Resistance: Seek & Replace Crippling Fears

©2025 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com for permission and guidelines. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.

Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.

Tags: Change, Leadership, Leadership Development, Leading change, leading morale, management, people skills, resistance, Resistance to Change, team