Anyone working with the introduction of new systems in organizations probably has experienced user resistance. It is tempting to try to counter the actual arguments brought forward by the users, but that is just a waste of time. As holes are knocked in one argument there will always be another one rising, in and endless stream. Wearing out the arguments is not possible, because the source for them is not rational worries. The source is fear.

There are few (if any) motivational factors for a human being that are stronger than fear. To handle the user resistance, it is important to understand that the root cause often is fear. Fear of the new and unknown is something deeply rooted in the human soul which has served our ancestors well during the centuries. It is not until the last few centuries that the world has started changing so fast that it has become a problem. Looking back all the way to the first steps of the industrial revolution we can find an early example of threatening technology.

The Spinning Jenny

Looking at the old, wooden, fragile Spinning Jenny it is hard to think of it as a threat, but when it was introduced it was. The Spinning Jenny was not the first machine introduced in the textile industry in the 18th century England. It was actually invented as a result of the introduction of the flying shuttle which had doubled the weaver’s productivity – and demand for yarn. With the introduction of the Spinning Jenny, one textile worker was now able to handle eight spindles, instead of just one. This of course raised the spinning capacity, but also lowered the number of people needed in the spinning industry. The reactions to the introduction of the Spinning Jenny and other machines were so strong that they formed an actual resistance movement, called the Luddites.

The Luddites

The principal objection of the Luddites was to the introduction of new wide-framed automated looms that could be operated by cheap, relatively unskilled labour, resulting in the loss of jobs for many skilled textile workers. The movement began in Nottingham in 1811 and spread rapidly throughout England in 1811 and 1812. Mills and pieces of factory machinery were burned by handloom weavers, and for a short time Luddites were so strong that they clashed in battles with the British Army. Many wool and cotton mills were destroyed before the British government suppressed the movement.

Measures taken by the British government to suppress the movement included a mass trial at York in January 1813 that resulted in many executions and penal transportations.

Description courtesy of Wikipedia’s Luddite article.

Fear Management

18th century riots over the automation of the textile industry is indeed far from today’s reality where nobody can imagine mass production yarn being hand-spun. The resistance to new things itself however remains. It’s the old new thing of technology introduction. Each new technology is indeed new and the means of resistance are new for each case, but the phenomenon itself is old. It’s a sound part of the human instinct to be skeptic to new things. It is when it turns into pure fear, totally divorced form reality, that it becomes a problem.

When implementing a new system in an organization that fear has to be managed. The first step is to recognize it for what it is – fear. It can be fear of loosing power when a previously unique skill is now automated. It can be fear of having to learn something new – and possibly failing to master it. It can be fear of loosing the job if the system will be so efficient that people are made redundant.

Whatever the fear is it has to be identified and handled. It is only be identifying the fear and addressing it that the resistance against the new system can be broken.

Fortunately the world has become a better place than in the 18th century, so we no longer call for the army to handle users, nor do we use mass trials, executions and penal transportations. Even if the ways of power demonstration are more civilized now than in the 18th century, it is the wrong way to go.

Power might suppress the open resistance, but will never get people motivated to contribute to the success of the project. Instead the source of the fear has to be figured out and addressed. Once people are comfortable again, knowing that their skills will still be important, knowing that they will get the support needed to learn the new system, knowing that they will have a job, they will lower the resistance. When people get to the point where they feel the new system will be an advantage to them, they will start contributing.

Fear identification and handling will stop the resistance. Helping people identify their personal advantage will make them contribute.