Resistance is a normal reaction to change, but it can be planned for and managed. Because resistance is unavoidable, it is important to listen to people’s concerns and needs in order to address them. Resistance to new technology such as Collibra can harm implementation, so it is important to face this head on.
Resistance occurs because people are comfortable with the way they are currently doing things. Introducing a new technology, even if it may make things easier in the long run, is a disruption of the current way. Because of this, the goal of managing resistance is to help people find their new normal as quickly as possible. This starts with understanding why people resist change and then providing the resources they need to overcome their resistance.
There are several reasons someone may resist change:
- Logical reasons for resistance come about because of a lack of understanding about the reason for the change.
- Affective reasons for resistance plays into emotions and attitudes toward change.
- Tactical reasons for resistance include a lack of understanding about how to make the change.
Reasons for Resistance
Preemptive Strategies to Address Resistance
Plan to Manage Resistance
Resistance can occur throughout the course of the implementation, and managing this resistance takes time, energy, and resources. Streamlining this is essential, which is where a plan comes in. There are three steps to addressing any problem: Identify, Address, and Follow Through.
- Identify the issues people are having. This can be done by asking questions and striving to understand the full scope of each issue. Our recommendation is to use a variety of listening approaches to collect feedback from as many sources as possible to fully identify and understand issues. Some ways to do this include meetings, crowdsourcing comments within Collibra, emails, and Data Governance Town Hall meetings. This is where a Change Team can help.
- Address the issues you hear about. Many organizations have issue-management processes already in place, so you can use these to your advantage. Before starting the Collibra implementation, review your processes to ensure they are sufficient to manage any issues that occur. If there is not an issue-management process already in place, you can build one prior to the implementation. The critical components of issue management are described by the acronym CARE: Clarify issues and reasons for resistance, Ask questions about gains and losses, Resolve issues if possible, Escalate if needed
- Follow through with solutions. Communicate that the issue was addressed so people realize their feedback is important and heard. Adoption happens when resistance is overcome. Building trust in your team and encouraging input form others is essential to a successful Collibra adoption.
Planning for and managing resistance is a best practice for Collibra implementation, and it is not the only one.
View more Collibra Best Practices article series.
View more Collibra Best Practices article series.
