Coach Talk: People Resist Being Controlled

Bob Craig

Ken Blanchard has done a significant amount of researching and writing about business issues and solutions and in his Change Management work he has this statement: Contrary to popular belief, people don’t resist change; they resist being controlled. The last time I checked, you were still a people so that probably applies to you as well. The implications for you as a leader in that simple statement are huge. We change all the time. Think about the things you have changed in just using technology in the last 3 years. You’re starting to be a minority if you don’t have a smart phone of some kind or if you can’t get on the internet any time you feel like it. We make changes all the time of our own doing, but we hate being controlled and often we throw resistance all over the place at it. As a leader that means you need to go into thinking mode when you’re needing something to change. Actually if you’re a good coach and you can ask they right questions, they will figure out the change all on their own and that is a change that stands a much better chance of happening than one you deliver like a dictator. Start practicing that wonderful art of asking questions.