Why some people always resist change

• Fearful Franklin- A memorandum appears on his desk announcing a meeting a discuss reorganization of the company. As he reads, his hands begin to tremble and he reads, his hands begin to tremble and he becomes slightly nauseous. His thoughts jump from one horrible possibility to another. In each case he perceives himself as the loser.

“I may be asked to do a job I’m not qualified for; I may get a new supervisor who doesn’t like me; I may have to work with people who will make me look bad; I may even lose my job.”

• Carol the Control Freak- Her husband calls her at work to ask if she wants to join him and an old college roommate for dinner. Feelings of frustrations emerge as she considers how her plans are going to have to be changed. This was laundry night, now she will be rushed. She really ought to shampoo her hair. She is on a diet and she knows she won’t stay on it if she eats out. Furthermore, he didn’t have reservations and they would probably have to wait. The impending evening plans make her feel uneasy and out of control.

• Bennie in Charge- His hunting partners voted to move to a new hunting lease. Everyone but Bennie had agreed and he was angry because he had been overruled. He resented their decision and felt they didn’t really care what he wanted. The old hunting lease had been fine for many years and he felt “bullied” into the decision. He admitted the thought of moving had crossed his mind, but he failed to speak up earlier. The idea coming from someone else irked him. Bennie hated anyone telling him what to do.

• Olivia the Overwhelmed- Having gone through a recent divorce, moved to a different city, and suffered the loss of a parent through death, Olivia felt overwhelmed when her daughter announced her forthcoming marriage. Olivia was panic-stricken by the thought of helping her daughter plan a wedding and having her move away from home. Her head pounded as she considered the thought of this new pressure being thrust upon her.

• Lackadaisical Larry- When a new incentive program was announced at work, Larry dreaded the thought of working harder and doing things differently. His routine would be disrupted. As far as he was concerned this was strictly an 8-to-5 job and he was satisfied with doing things the way he had done them for years. Maybe he could opt for a straight salary and let someone else work on a commission basis.

• Terry the Tunnel Vision- Terry looks at life through a pair of blinders. He works hard, but doesn’t like changing his routine. Liking to do things the same way over and over, he feels any deviation from the routine is a waste of time and unnecessary. Like a plow horse, following the same straight path over and over, routine is not boring to him, it’s simply less complicated.

The thing these individuals have in common is their resistance to change. Because our society and time in history is a frame of rapid change, next week I will explore remedies and strategies to help these personalities deal with inevitable changes in their lives.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright © 1993