How To Deal With Employee Resistance

This article will help managers deal with employee resistance. Many people take their jobs for granted. They forget that they were hired to perform a specific task. Not only are they to work hard to succeed at that task, but they should learn how to become better at that task . They should also try and learn new skills to succeed outside of their work center if so called upon. Statistics have shown that approximately 25% of all employees demonstrate some level of resistance when called to perform a specific task or learn a new skill. That results in lost time and lost productivity for a company. How is an employer supposed to deal with such resistance?

There are three types of resistant employees. The most common type is a person who has been "grandfathered" into their current position. This is problematic, because this person does not continuously learn and develop their skills. This may be the result of a supervisor who does not insist upon improvement in daily tasks and annual performance reviews. The next type of person is an employee who is at the top of their pay grade. When someone is at the top of their pay grade and no longer delivers requisite work, this is another type of resistance that its problematic for the company. Finally, there is the employee who performs well and is condescending towards their peers and supervisors. All three of these employee types create resistance within a company and hinders that company's performance to deliver its brand to consumers.

The best way to deal with employee resistance is very simple. Develop an incentive system to reward employees that deliver. Employees that do not live up to expectations will have to deal with consequences. When an employee understands what is expected, they will likely live up to those standards if there is an incentive system in place. Obviously, you may have to let people go from time to time, but this is very poor for workplace morale.

The best type of incentive for an employee is positive feedback. When you tell them they have done a good job, they will likely continue to do so when praised. Sometimes, they may not perform adequately. If this happens, tell them what they did well. Then, append this statement with what needs to change. This will make it so that your employee will not become defensive if you want them to improve their performance.

Resistance in the workplace is often one of the last vestiges of previous ineffective leadership. If you come into such a situation, you are going to have to work with your team to show them that there is a better way to perform a task. If you respond with respect, consideration, and constructivism, your team will likely respond to your expectations. If you go in with the attitude that you are going to clean house, your team will not respond well.

Remember that the team player mentality is important when you are a manager. You have to motivate, delegate, and make sure that your employees understand the brand and culture of the company. You have to meet your team in the middle and understand where they are coming from. Sometimes, the most resistant employees may need to be transitioned to a new area or out of the company entirely. Assuming leadership of a company is a very tall task. It requires level headedness, thoughtfulness, and respect. Your employees will respond well, however, if you create an environment that is conducive to teamwork and respect. Above all, remember that forward is the only direction to go in the business world. It is your job to provide your team with the vision to realize this.