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Daniel Robin & Associates Making Workplaces Work Better
Keyword: Resistance
Resistance occurs when some apparent difference arises between what you want and what someone else wants. The other person or group will demonstrate "resistance" to oppose what they perceive as a direction they do not wish to go. The mistake would be to "resist resistance" -- that is, to react to their resistance as if to say "wait, you really do want what I want ... let me explain...." What works better? Acknowledge their apparent resistance and work with it. Use it to find a way to reach your goal that would work for both of you. Websters' dictionary defines resistance as "forces opposing," but interpersonal resistance would be better defined as "feedback" or as "evidence that we're not on the same page" that there's information missing. Although it is human nature to courageously meet opposition head on (or, for some, to wisely shy away from confrontation hoping it ends up being a non-issue), a better approach is to move with and understand what is a root cause of this supposed opposition. What, exactly, is their concern? Then, and only then, can resistance become useful as a tool for learning something you may not have known, as a way to understand how this person thinks, as a way to get where you're going that includes the other person's needs and wants. Articles:
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