Regardless of your job title, or the role that you play in your organisation, you will eventually have to deal with people that resist change. Dealing with these individuals is notoriously difficult, as they seemingly oppose everything that you say or do just for the sake of being argumentative and disagreeable!

Inflexible people are everywhere, and since they are typically efficient, reliable, talented employees, you want to find ways to put their skills to their best use. The following strategies will increase your understanding and communication with rigid, dogmatic types and encourage greater cooperation.

Communicate

The first step in decreasing resistance to change is to encourage greater dialogue. When talking with inflexible colleagues, it’s very important that you use your emotional intelligence and active listening skills to uncover the reasons why they oppose the specific change proposal.

Ask them to explain why they dislike the proposal or why they think it won’t work. Don’t interrupt them when they are speaking, and use visual, non-verbal cues to show that you are listening to what they are saying. Acknowledge their expertise in the subject being discussed and agree that each point that they have brought up is a valid concern.

Another tactic that you can use to encourage greater cooperation is to point out what’s in it for the person that is resistant to change. When you talk with them, express how the proposal will benefit them to get them on your side.

Ask for Help

At this point in the conversation, rather than arguing with them, you should seek their help. Ask how the proposal can be improved, or what steps do they suggest that your organisation take to make the offer even better.

Asking them directly for their input validates their knowledge and dedication in this area grants them some power, and reduces some of their fears around the proposed change. It also gives them a stake in the results.

When we include our most resistant members in the change process, it conveys ownership and encourages them to become part of the solution rather than continuing to stand in opposition.

Break Big Change Projects into Smaller Ones

If you have an ambitious change project, and, you suspect there might be a lot of resistance, try breaking the proposal down into smaller units of change. Slowly introduce the new policies over an extended period of time to ease the transition. This can make the adaptation process seem less threatening to people who prefer “time-honoured” traditions and maintaining the status quo.

If you need your team to adopt new procedures, let them know well before you implement the new practice. This will allow you ample time to host multiple training sessions so your colleagues can become familiar with new techniques and processes. This will also help reduce their anxiety and increase their desire to cooperate.

Perhaps the very best thing that you can do to improve your working relationship with a difficult co-worker is to avoid the temptation to become inflexible yourself. Be open to learning more about the other person’s concerns, and openly praise them for their contributions to your team.