Change rarely fails because of bad strategy. It fails because it gets stuck – blocked by human doubt, organisational inertia, or fear of the unknown.
Resistance to change is rarely irrational and frequently emotional. It’s usually a sign that something vital – fear, trust, clarity, confidence – is missing. Barriers, like the image of a bat lit up in the sky, are signals.
Whatever you’re trying to change, whether it’s a large-scale customer experience re-design or a small but critical project, the same barriers often show up again and again. Each demands a different response and a different mindset. If you receive any of these signals, here’s how you can answer the call.
1. “Not Invented Here” syndrome
The first and most common barrier is tribal: “We didn’t create this, so we don’t trust it.” This is a classic trap, especially in organisations with strong subcultures or a history of siloed thinking. People distrust solutions that don’t feel home-grown, even if they’re brilliant.
To overcome this, you need to involve people early. Who are the key stakeholders who you need to get on side? Who do you need to co-create with? Don’t present a fully-formed solution but invite others to shape it. It’s not about diluting the idea; it’s about growing ownership. When people see their fingerprints on a solution, they’re far more likely to back it.
2. Overwhelmed. Unengaged.
Barriers also arise when people feel overwhelmed. When everything is a priority, nothing is. In today’s fast-moving work environments, this is a common blocker: people simply don’t have the bandwidth to absorb and act on something new. Enough already!
If this programme/idea/initiative is truly business critical, then something has to give. Removing clutter is a powerful act of leadership. Set clear priorities. Most importantly, help people focus – not just on what to do, but on what to stop doing.
3. Fear of loss
Change always comes with a cost whether that’s real or perceived. People worry they’ll lose influence, resources, status, or security. These fears are often unspoken, but they are real and can be paralysing.
This is where empathy becomes a strategic tool. Surface the fears, name them, and build pathways through them. Create psychological safety by making change feel less like a cliff edge and more like a well-lit bridge. It’s not enough to show what’s changing, you must also show what’s staying the same, and what people stand to gain.
4. Lack of trust in leadership
This is a big one. If people don’t believe the leaders driving change, they won’t follow, no matter how compelling the strategy. Trust is the currency of change. And trust is earned through consistency, transparency, and vulnerability.
If you’re the leader and you’re struggling to get your team on side, you may need to show up differently. Don’t hide behind jargon or defensiveness. Admit what you don’t know, share your thinking openly, and act in line with your values. (Assuming those values are not, “be selfish”, “never listen” and “take all the credit.” ) Don’t ask for trust – earn it. And then give it back to your people in return.
Strategies that work
If these barriers resonate, there are a few practical tools that can help you get over them:
- Obstacle mapping: Visually charting out the potential barriers to change whether that’s individual, cultural and/or systemic, and brainstorming ways to mitigate each will bring the invisible into view.
- Pilot: Instead of launching a new idea with fanfare, quietly trial it in a small part of the business. Let it prove itself then let the results do the talking.
- Storytelling: Real change happens when people feel something. Use stories of customers, colleagues, and frontline wins to make the case emotionally compelling.
- Small wins: Nothing kills resistance like progress. Identify and celebrate early wins to build belief and momentum.
Change Is a human sport
Ultimately, change is personal. It’s emotional. It’s relational. The biggest barriers aren’t found in Powerpoint decks and spreadsheets, they live in people’s hearts and minds.
Logic and a business case will only take you so far. To get over the barriers you need to listen deeply, speak clearly (AKA no jargon) and adapt. And above all, if you really believe in your idea, project or campaign, persist. Don’t expect a frictionless path – change rarely happens without some element of resistance. But if you expect resistance, you can prepare for it. Resistance is not the enemy of change, it’s the proving ground.
If you’re serious about leading change, don’t just obsess over vision and planning. Look hard at the barriers. Who might feel threatened? What aren’t people saying? Where is trust frayed? Then use empathy, clarity, co-creation, and yes, some courage, to get people on-side.
In a world full of blockers, be the one who breaks through.
