The temporary reprieve you get from ignoring pushback is not worth the hassle that arises as a result. Burying your head in the sand to avoid the perils of pushback is like a three year old playing peek-a-boo; even though they can’t see you, you’re still actually there.

When we downplay the presence of pushback we lose the ability to surface the real resistance and deal with it. We can’t address what we don’t accept and the trouble with avoiding resistance is that it doesn’t just go away. If it’s not expressed or dealt with, it just goes underground to resurface another day and often in a stronger way.

When we don’t deal with resistance we leave people to their own devices and their own stories. Without continued conversations and clear information people jump to their own conclusions and insert their own motivations for your actions (and these are rarely right or resourceful). This means not only do you have to deal with resistance in general but you also have to unravel a grapevine of misinformation, heightened emotion and undue drama. Is ignoring pushback really the answer?

Anneli is an accomplished leadership speaker, mentor and co-author of Developing Direct Reports: Taking the guesswork out of leading leaders. She is currently working on her next book, ‘Decoding Resistance: The real reason people won’t do what you want’, a practical guide for increasing buy-in, reducing push back and navigating the daily barriers that impact influence, engagement and change.

Leading change program - transforming resistance to results.

Want more from Anneli? For leaders of change initiatives who need to deliver - on time and on budget, this program supports leaders to effectively diagnose and understand the resistance of key players that could jeopardise the project’s success. This is not about project management; it’s about people management - strategies for engagement, effective change communication and how to get key players on board, to keep the project on track.

Contact Anneli today to find out how.