by Dale H. Emery
None of these books is strictly about resistance, but don't let that stop you from reading them. Each will give you a fresh perspective and lots of guidelines for dealing with the resistance you encounter in your organization. And as a bonus, you'll learn many other ways to create positive change along the way.
If the title alone isn't enough to entice you, here is a quotation from the preface. You work with [...] people, searching for opportunities to pursue what you believe to be important to the organization and yourself. You often have great clarity about what these 'other people' ought to do and are baffled about how to get them to do it. Does that sound like you? If you are going to read only one book on this list, read this one!
This book is a classic in the consulting field, partly because of the two definitive chapters on resistance. In one chapter Block describes the many ways resistance shows itself, and the underlying concerns people have that lead them to resist. The following chapter explains how to detect resistance and what to do about it. The two chapters on contracting are also helpful in showing how to prevent resistance before it happens.
Resistance and conflict are close cousins. This book shows how to embrace conflict (resistance or otherwise), turning it into an opportunity to learn and grow. Crum bases his approach on the Japanese martial art of Aikido. The purpose of this gentle and powerful discipline is to resolve physical conflict by making an attack harmless without doing harm even to the attacker.
This seriously funny little book gives fifty sure-fire ways to make sure your change project will fail. Ignore these gems at your peril! An example: Announce a change of values while continuing to reward the old ones. Most of these sabotage strategies are illustrated by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Signe Wilkinson. As far as I know, the only way to get this book is to order it from the author at Kinsey Consulting Services, P.O. Box 8255, Berkeley, CA 94707, (510) 943-7850.
If you can get better at managing expectations yours and your customers you will have a lot less resistance to deal with. If you absorb the lessons in this book, you will get better at managing expectations.
The fifth discipline in the title is systems thinking. If you want to gain a deeper understanding of the resistance that happens in organizations, read everything you can find about systems thinking. The Laws of the Fifth Discipline Senge describes in chapter 4 are a great place to start. Learning about the other four disciplines -- personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning -- will also increase your ability to create positive change.
This is another book for consultants. In his chapter on resistance, Jerry expands on ideas from Block's Flawless Consulting, and adds many lessons he has learned from his own experience. You will also find the rest of this book very helpful in your role as a consultant. If you don't see yourself as a consultant, consider Jerry's definition: Consulting is the art of influencing people at their request. If that's what you do, this book is for you.
The Weinbergs' treatment of systems thinking is both broader and deeper than Senge's. After reading this book, you will see into systems, including problems and organizations, with far more clarity than before. You will recognize the principles of systems thinking everywhere around you, especially in the resistance you get to your proposals. When you understand and apply these principles, the changes you design will generate less resistance and will have greater impact.
Part of creating positive change is being able to sell your ideas. For most of my life, the very idea of having to sell my ideas made me uncomfortable. If you're like me, this book will give you a more positive view of what selling can be. You will begin to see selling and helping as not only compatible, but inseparable.
Regards Jan-Willem ===================================================================== Jan-Willem Neurdenburg IDD Information Services 56 Brigham Hill Road 100 Fifth Avenue, Waltham MA 02154 Grafton MA 01519-1135 (617) 890-7227x120 - fax. (617) 890-7449 USA tel. (508) 839-9840 Inventions while you wait, fax. (508) 839-7267 the impossible takes a little bit longer msg. (508) 839-7267 Willie Wortel =====================================================================
Return to Boston SPIN Home Page