What do you do if team members resist change and struggle with adaptability?

Understand your team's concern through individual conversations, listen to your team, and empathize with their perspectives. Communicate effectively, clearly explain the reasons behind the change, its benefits, and how it aligns with organisational goals. Involve resistant team members in decision-making processes related to the change to foster ownership and reduce resistance. Address concerns proactively and lead by example.

Indudablemente para entender la resistencia, cabría inicialmente una pregunta: ¿Cómo comunicaste el cambio?, desde ese primer momento, debe promoverse una gestión del cambio que cobre valor. Es diferente gestionar la resistencia cuando desde el principio, comunicaste bien lo que pretendías hacer. Cuando la resistencia, despues de agotados muchos recursos de comprensión, de comunicación o de gestión de personal, continúa en ese tono, hay dos caminos; tratar de comprender si el cambio definitivamente esta bien enfocado, o dos, cambiar de personal. Cambiar el equipo, a veces también es una buena decisión.

When team members resist change, I start by listening to their concerns. Often, resistance stems from fear, uncertainty, or a lack of information. I then clearly communicate the purpose behind the change, how it benefits them and the organization, and what support they'll receive during the transition. I also involve them in the process where possible, giving them ownership over parts of the change. Adaptability grows when people feel heard, supported, and empowered rather than forced. Patience, transparency, and continuous encouragement are key.

When team members resist change, start by understanding their concerns and communicating the “why” behind the shift. Involve them early in the process to build ownership. Provide training and small wins to boost confidence. Lead by example and celebrate adaptability to create lasting momentum.

Open ended questions are such a strong way to engage people to share their thoughts and opinions. Leaning in with intention to understand where issues lie is the fastest way to get to the root of problems.

When team members push back against change, begin by hearing out their concerns and explaining the purpose and value behind the shift. Engage them in the process to foster a sense of ownership, offer resources and training to build confidence, and set incremental goals to show quick progress. Acknowledge and celebrate those who adapt well to inspire others. Stay supportive but firm, reinforcing that while help is available, adapting to change is critical for moving forward.

The Why is very important, last year we introduced a huge process change in our company, at global level. So the way we implemented it was to communicate what was coming, months before we ever got there, and that was all levels, so from top to bottom and from bottom to top. Essentially an internal marketing campaign to shoe them was was coming and Why it was beneficial to the company, so wasn't something we say it was a must but we show them why was it a must. I'm happy and grateful to shar that it worked our pretty well and 85% of the people embraced it as we expected.

Transparency about the *why* and the benefits is key. Open dialogue and addressing concerns proactively can turn resistance into buy-in. 👍

Empower your team with relevant and practical training. Building their confidence in new skills reduces fear and fosters acceptance of change. 👍

Understand that each person has different learning styles and be willing and able to modify training. Some prefer to learn by reading or watching tutorials, while others benefit from in person or in a group setting. You can't take a one size fits all model to adopting change.

Impartir información es clave para combatir la resistencia al cambio y la inadaptabilidad . Se requiere informar al equipo sobre las razones de los cambios que se están haciendo y como repercutirán de manera positiva en su propio bienestar. Corresponde hacer a la gente parte del cambio y beneficiarios de los resultados esperados !!!!

Learning is part of the process and people tend to overcome changes and challenges more ,when they understand what it is about. What I have done with people is training those individuals that we call influencers and non formal leaders, because are this people who can actually work with others and teach them what they learn from it and help rolling these changes out.

Muchas veces interpretamos la resistencia al cambio como un rechazo, pero en realidad suele ser un reflejo de inseguridad: la duda de si seremos capaces de adaptarnos. Por eso, ofrecer formación práctica, enfocada en las necesidades reales del día a día, marca la diferencia. Cuando las personas se sienten preparadas y respaldadas, dejan de ver el cambio como una amenaza y empiezan a verlo como una oportunidad para crecer. Nuestro rol como líderes es crear las condiciones para que la confianza supere al miedo.

Couldn’t agree more. When people feel ownership in the process, they’re much more likely to embrace the outcome. I’ve found that even just asking for input (and genuinely considering it) builds trust and makes the entire team stronger — especially during tough transitions. Great reminder!

People rarely tear down a house they helped build - if you involve the team early and show that you trust them to achieve the objective, they’ll fight for the change, not against it.

Making it a team effort! Involving members in shaping the change fosters a sense of ownership and increases buy-in. Collaboration strengthens the team. 👍

Obtaining the team’s buy-in can aide with their acceptance of the change. Having open discussions and being transparent will go along way with reducing resistance.

Create as many win-wins as possible. Invite the team member to provide three possible solutions and then review them and choose one, for example. Adapt, show flexibility and reasonability, and get creative!

This is so true. It’s all about recognizing and celebrating efforts—not just results, especially at first. When team members, especially ones who struggled to adapt, take steps toward embracing change I acknowledge their progress authentically, encouraging a positive feedback loop. This both encourages those moving forward and it signals for others to follow.

Continuous support and recognition reinforce positive adoption. Celebrating milestones motivates individuals and sets a positive example for the team. 👍

Actualmente vivo esto a diario, el proceso de adaptación siempre es algo que frena al incio, pero la mejor forma de saltar eso es con la información de apoyo al personal , involucracion del mismo y un sistema de gamification de esta manera tienes a las personas comprometidas y no son un freno ante el cambio

Na prática, o que mais observo é que a resistência à mudança nas equipes está muito mais ligada à insegurança do que à falta de vontade. E é aí que o comportamento do líder se torna decisivo. Quando um líder compartilha seus aprendizados, adapta rotas com naturalidade e mantém o foco em soluções, mesmo diante da incerteza, ele sinaliza segurança, não perfeição. Em momentos de transformação (seja digital, de processos ou cultural), tento sempre reforçar a lógica por trás das mudanças e mostrar, com atitudes, que a transição é possível, viável e positiva. Pequenas atitudes consistentes criam um ambiente onde errar faz parte do processo, aprender é incentivado, e resistir deixa de ser a única alternativa.

Leading by example is powerful! Your positive attitude and adaptability set the tone and inspire the team to embrace change with confidence. 👍

Sometimes changes are brought by a strategic definition that needs to be implemented, so task distribution are a must. People take tasks as orders, nothing is more hatred than orders, so, in order to guide the team to adapt and embrace tasks as part of strategy execution, communication of what the main goal is has to be delivered, in cases, managers have to spark the ignition, starting doing themselves bringing the team slowly, then hand out some key responsibilities. Recognition is part of that resistance softener.

A melhor maneira de você ensinar é sendo o exemplo do que esta ensinando. Nos ajuda a falar com propriedade, responsabilidade e empatia.

La resistencia al cambio no es el problema, es el síntoma. Detrás de cada resistencia suele haber una emoción no escuchada: miedo, incertidumbre, pérdida de control. La clave no es forzar el cambio, sino crear un espacio de confianza donde las emociones puedan ser reconocidas sin juicio. Cuando escuchamos, conectamos. Cuando conectamos, facilitamos el movimiento. En procesos de cambio, siempre me hago tres preguntas: 1-¿Qué teme perder esta persona? 2-¿Qué oportunidad aún no puede ver? 3-¿Cómo puedo acompañarla a reconstruir confianza?

Já vivi situações em que mudanças geraram desconforto na equipe. Nessas horas, meu foco é reforçar que a adaptação faz parte do crescimento profissional. Gosto de criar um espaço seguro para ouvir as dificuldades, oferecer suporte e reforçar a visão de futuro. Mostrar que a mudança não é uma ameaça, mas uma oportunidade de evolução, ajuda muito no engajamento. Com diálogo, clareza e liderança próxima, a equipe se sente mais preparada para enfrentar os desafios.

Considero que lo mejor es abordarlo escuchar para entender dudas, miedos e incertidumbre y poder explicar el propósito del cambio, por qué se hace, qué beneficios traerá y qué impacto tendrá en su trabajo diario.Involucrarlos en el proceso.Ofrecer apoyo, capacitación y herramientas de formación. Reconocer pequeños logros, Celebrar progresos. Ser flexibles sin frenar avances, no todos avanzan al mismo ritmo. Si es necesario, hablar uno a uno, para entender su motivación. Establecer límites sobre comportamientos aceptables dentro del equipo. Un mapa de resistencias al inicio de un cambio ayuda a identificar, organizar y visualizar cómo diferentes personas o grupos se están posicionando frente a un cambio o una nueva iniciativa.

Break down large, daunting changes into smaller, manageable steps or phases. Pilot the change with a smaller group if feasible. Within the team, identify individuals (formal or informal leaders) who are more receptive to the change or influential among their peers. Change often involves letting go of the familiar. Acknowledge what people might be losing (e.g., comfortable routines, established expertise, social connections). Foster an environment where team members feel safe to voice concerns, ask questions, experiment with new ways of working, and even make mistakes during the transition without fear of blame or retribution. Change management isn't a linear process. Establish clear feedback loops throughout the implementation.