When leaders say “we’re too small for change management,” what I hear is “we’re too small to be strategic.” But if that doesn’t apply to other areas of your business, then why should it apply to change?

When I speak to folks who lead change, they often identify change resistance as one of the biggest challenges they face when planning for change, and a major barrier when it comes to implementing and sustaining successful change. So what is change resistance, why might employees resist change, and what can leaders do about change resistance to ensure that every change is a success?

One question I get from leaders more than almost any other is: when should I start planning for change? When I dig a little deeper, I always realize that the ideal start time has passed. The leader knows a change is coming, so they’re already thinking about it, talking about it (even if they don’t realize it), and making decisions and taking actions based on it. But it’s not too late!