top of page
Search

Your Team Isn't Resistant to Change. They're Depleted by It.

Writer: Eric Jones
Eric Jones
11 minutes ago
2 min read

Most leaders treat pushback on change as a mindset problem. Often, it’s a depletion problem.

When priorities keep shifting, even capable people can run out of room to adapt. Deloitte’s 2026 research found that one-third of employees experienced 15 or more major changes in the past year. Among employees, 68% reported decreased well-being, 60% increased workload, and 50% lower engagement. That isn’t proof of a bad attitude. It’s a signal to examine the cumulative load.

Calling people resistant makes the problem theirs to fix. Resilience-based leadership asks a different question: what is the experience of change asking people to carry?

A stack of small change symbols outweighing an energy spark

Notice

  • Map the changes happening at once, not just the latest launch. Include new processes, staffing shifts, tools, and expectations.

  • Look for workload creep, confusion, and withdrawal. These can be signs that people need support, not another motivational message.

Involve

  • Explain why the change is happening and what is still open to influence.

  • Ask employees which parts of the rollout will disrupt their work, and what could make the transition workable.

  • Give managers a role in shaping implementation, not just delivering announcements.

In Perceptyx’s 2026 benchmark of 23 million employee responses across 490 organizations and 113 countries, only 55% rated change management favorably. Employees who felt supported adapting were more than five times as likely to say change was handled effectively. Understanding the reasons and having a say mattered: 69% understood why change was happening, while 68% felt involved in decisions affecting their work.

A bridge of connected blue and orange tiles linking two abstract workspaces

Protect

  • Sequence initiatives. Be explicit about what can pause, stop, or wait.

  • Check what the team can absorb before setting a new deadline.

  • Equip managers to raise concerns and adjust the plan locally.

Gartner reported that the average employee experienced 10 planned enterprise changes in 2022, up from two in 2016. Over that period, willingness to support organizational change fell from 74% to 34%. More communication alone won’t restore capacity or confidence.

Relationships help people move through uncertainty: managers who listen, involve the team, and follow through make change feel less imposed and more workable. That’s the heart of ROR: Return on Relationship. It’s also why burnout is often a relationship problem, as explored in this article on team stress and connection.

What change is your team still carrying that leaders have stopped noticing?

Where could more involvement or trust make the next change easier to navigate?

Sources

 
 
 

Comments

© 2035 by Roxanne Dehodge.

​

bottom of page