The Story Behind the Frustration
I kept hearing the same thing over and over:
“There’s just too much change right now.”
So I pushed deeper and asked, “What kind of change?”
That’s when it poured out. One moment they’re told to use Jira. The next? ADO. New leadership shows up with a fresh strategy, and before people can adjust, here comes a re-org. Then they’re expected to move faster, with fewer people, using new AI and automation tools.
It’s not that they can’t handle any one of those changes.
It’s that they’re happening all at once.
The Real Problem: Disruption, Not Change
People can learn ADO.
They can survive a re-org.
They can adopt AI tools.
But when change comes in waves with no room to breathe, the real issue isn’t resistance to change—it’s the constant disruption. That’s what pushes people over the edge.
Resistance Isn’t About Attitude—It’s a Signal
Let’s get something straight: resistance doesn’t mean people refuse to grow.
Most of the time, it signals something deeper—like confusion, fatigue, or frustration.
And here’s what people keep saying:
“I don’t see anything changing in how I’m evaluated or rewarded.”
That’s the core of it. Reinforcement hasn’t shifted.
Leaders ask for new behaviors but keep rewarding the old ones. People feel like no one’s watching. Performance no longer feels connected to what matters.
That’s not resistance out of stubbornness—it’s disengagement caused by mixed signals.
More Communication Doesn’t Fix Misalignment
Many organizations respond to rising resistance by sending out more comms. But communication without reinforcement just adds noise.
You can announce all the changes you want—but if behaviors, resources, and consequences don’t shift, nothing sticks. That’s when people start tuning out.
You Need a Method, Not a Message
This is why AIM (Accelerating Implementation Methodology) exists.
AIM doesn’t just tell you how to announce change. It gives you tools to plan around disruption. It helps you figure out who’s impacted, when they’ll feel it, and how to actually reinforce what you want to stick.
This isn’t theory—it’s built for messy, real-life organizations.
Everything Feels Urgent—So Nothing Moves
Change piles up when no one stops to ask:
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Can we delay anything?
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Which change affects the most people?
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What can we reinforce first before adding more?
When everything feels urgent, nothing gets implemented. Instead, you get resistance, burnout, and disengagement.
What You Can Do Right Now
If your team feels like it’s drowning in change, you’re not alone.
Start by mapping what’s happening. Sequence it. Ask your sponsors what they’re reinforcing today. Stop stacking new priorities without looking at who’s absorbing them.
You can’t avoid change. But you can manage how you deliver it.
