Some people seem to be wired to like variety, novelty, change from routine. Others seem to prefer the status quo, the predictable, the familiar. To some extent, this is genetic, but it is also influenced by the multitude of experiences we have been subjected to in our lives. Embracing change requires the ability to break comfortable habits, overcome the need for security, risk what we have, defy inertia and laziness, and master our fear of the unknown. Change can be exciting when it is done by us, but it can be threatening when done to us.
There are psychological attributes that don’t change throughout life, like baseline anxiety or eagerness for novel experiences. People with higher levels of one or the other of these traits will respond in opposite ways to the same situations. For instance, the introduction of new technology can elicit responses ranging from feeling like something will be a fun learning opportunity, to seeing it as a blow to self-esteem (“I will never be able to do that!”). Some, like chameleons, have a variety of responses available to them. Others will respond in only one, customary way.
Change is also perceived differently by different generations. When I was young, which was many decades ago, I would look forward to change, to variety, and challenges to the status quo. Today I view change with some alarm. A notification that my computer or iPhone has an upcoming update makes me immediately worry that it will make me feel inadequate as I try to adjust to new configurations. The speed with which new technologies enter our lives is totally mind-boggling. Alexa and Siri keep offering me new ways to function when I am quite happy functioning with what I currently know.
One of the changes I deal with every year is in the deterioration of physical competence. I see less well; I hear less well, and I walk slower. These are changes in which I need to adapt to with hearing aids, reading glasses, and a cane. Demographics also change. My doctor, dentist, accountant, lawyer, trainer, hairdresser, and secretary have either retired or died; thus I have to adapt to a whole new set of personalities.
Resilience and adaptability are required of us as we continue to contend with COVID-19 and climate change as it impacts our lives. We cannot rest on our hard-earned laurels anymore. We must move on with the changing times, even if we are a bit out of breath from the speed of it all.
Change usually includes both opportunity and loss. Within organizations where many people will be impacted, there must be a reason for making changes—something is not working or an improvement is necessary to remain competitive. Even so, some people will see it as necessary; others will not.
People approaching retirement may lose their office space or have to bear the disruption of construction, but will not be around to gain any benefits. Older residents in retirement communities may feel the same way and are also more prone to resist change, and may have difficulty learning new routines, or dealing with changes in their environment. “Will I see the completion of this project in my lifetime?” is a frequent complaint. In the last decades of one’s life, comfort takes precedence over innovation even if it promises improvement. It is very difficult for individuals to give up amenities or resources for the benefit of people they will never know.
It is not only older people who resist change. Any individual who will experience some personal discomfort for the benefit of the organization or for some future generation may balk at giving up the status quo. In order to support the change, people need to have their concerns acknowledged and their ideas taken seriously. Here are some suggestions to help overcome resistance:
• Be clear and explicit about motives and intended outcomes
• Promote open discussions of concerns
• Involve those impacted as much as possible
• Provide training if new skills are needed
• Be aware of possible unintended consequences, especially those which will negatively impact some individuals.
Special attention must be paid to people who suffer from mental issues, such as depression or anxiety, or who suffer from physical disabilities. For these individuals, change may be more traumatic.
In the end, some people will evade all efforts to get them to accept the necessity for change and will, therefore, be unreachable by any means. However, in our rapidly evolving world, change is the one constant we can rely on.