Teamwork—A Key to Managing Change

Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together.

—Anonymous

Change, conflict, and stress are interrelated, as shown in Figure 1.3. Symptoms of resistance to change include loss in productivity, “sick-outs,” and work slowdowns as well as some more subtle symptoms such as apathy, hostility and justifications of why the changes won't work. All these symptoms, taken together, may be called the change resistance syndrome.^[25] According to Roethlisberger, the resistance to change syndrome follows a reciprocal pattern that begins when management introduces a change and immediately the workers counter with resistance.^[26] To overcome this resistance, management may take various approaches, such as explaining the need for the change and its benefits; hiring consultants to justify the change or to help facilitate its acceptance; using feedback sessions to emphasize the realities behind the change; or sending stressed managers for training to learn how to cope with change and handle resistance to change.^[25]