Why is resistance so irresistible?

Why do we resist what is inevitable? We all know it’s coming. We can’t stop it. But we still try. Why do we struggle with change so much?

I’ve been working in change management for decades. Years of guiding people through change should have made me an expert. Yet I’m not very good when I’m faced with it myself. As the saying goes, “cobblers’ children have the worst shod shoes.” Or the 1546 version, “But who is wurs shod, than the shoemaker’s wyfe?”

There’s an equation professional change managers use to identify whether organisations or employees are ready to change. It goes like this:

D x V x F > R

D, V and F are the drivers for change. R is what stops it all dead in its tracks.

D stands for level of Dissatisfaction. I’m unhappy in my relationship, or I dislike my job. Without this frustration we won’t change, as there’s no driver.

V is the Vision of a compelling future. I want to buy my own apartment, or I want to get promoted at work. We need to know where we are heading, or we’ll spin with no clue of where to go.

F means the First practical steps. We may want to get into bioengineering. But if we don’t know what skills are required, or who to talk to, then it will be difficult to start.

R is where it can come unstuck — Resistance to change. If the others combined are smaller than Resistance, nothing will shift. We could be miserable in our work, unhappy at home, or just…