My extension of that is not as good: Often people are overloaded, or have rightfully surmised that the change will not allowed to bloom in their culture or under their leaders (ie the department wants to *seem* progressive). Sometimes they’re so beaten down that they’ve given up hoping. Sometimes they’re afraid. Sometimes they’re exhausted. Sometimes they are straining at the limits of their ability to absorb change.

Sometimes the critic is just acting as the gauge that tells you what the rest of the group are thinking but not saying. But people aren’t obstacles.

Esther Derby commented on my Overcoming Resistance entry with an excellent list of reasons why people may appear to be resisting. Thank you, Esther!
She also said
Unfortunately, I hear many people–even those who hope to influence others to chang…

In my post on Overcoming Resistance, I said, “I wanted to write an article with a shining example of a time when I didn’t try to overcome resistance, but used it to advantage, instead.”  Besides the Velvet Elvis principle that Don Gray d…