Here’s the thing about change initiatives: the tech/process/tool is rarely the villain. Nine times out of 10, it’s the humans. And I say that with love because we all resist change at one time or another!
If you’re in the thick of a rollout right now, you already know this: adoption is messy. People don’t always throw a party when you hand them a shiny new system or ask them to “do it differently.” I should know… I’m in the thick of helping a client shift from pen and paper to a new data management platform. But the good news? There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and you can steer through the chaos. Here’s how:
Call Out Resistance for What It Is
People aren’t being “difficult” for fun. It’s easy to get frustrated by the person with a lot of VERY direct questions and concerns. But if you look a layer deeper, it’s often because that person is anxious about losing control, or frustrated by the learning curve, or perhaps just wants to make sure they’re doing a good job. Maybe they’re even secretly wondering if this is the beginning of a robot takeover. (It’s not…) In my experience, the resistance almost always comes from a place of worry and not malice.
Flip the Script: From “Ugh” to “Oh!”
Almost nobody wakes up excited for “another new system.” But they do care about tools that make their jobs easier or more meaningful. Your job is to help them see that difference. Less “this is mandatory,” more “look what you can do with this data” or “see how much time that saves you in the long run?”
And here’s the trick: don’t just tell them, show them. If you can demo how a dreaded monthly report now takes five minutes instead of five hours, you’ll get more buy-in than any memo could. Make it personal by connecting the change to things they actually care about.
Chase the Quick Win
Although manuals and training videos are important, let’s forget about those for a second. What people need is proof that the change is worth it today. Show them the tiny, tangible wins:
- The report that took hours now runs in 30 seconds.
- That confusing process? Streamlined.
- That dashboard? Suddenly tells a story that leadership actually understands.
These little “aha!” moments do more for adoption than all-day trainings ever will.
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Tell Stories, Not Stats
If your change involves data (and let’s be honest, most do), resist the urge to lead with raw numbers. Numbers alone rarely inspire. What moves people is the ability to connect dots they couldn’t connect before.
This is especially true in sectors like nonprofits, social enterprises, and mission-driven firms. When you’re tracking on pen and paper, you might know how many students showed up each week or how many clients received a service. But when systems are connected, you start to see patterns you couldn’t before: Which services lead to the best outcomes? How does engagement in one program impact success in another? Where are the hidden gaps you couldn’t spot in a logbook?
That’s where what we refer to at SQA Group as data humanization comes in. It’s not just about counting, but rather about telling the story of the journey. And when people see that a new initiative, platform, or tool allows them to unlock those stories, adoption shifts from “ugh, another system” to “oh, this helps us see what really works.”
Repeat the Why (A Lot)
By week three of a change initiative, momentum that existed in the kick-off can hit roadblocks. But that’s normal and many times, it’s also necessary.
Humans forget! They get caught up in the friction of the “now” and lose sight of the “later.” That’s why it’s important for leaders to keep re-connecting the dots between the disruption people feel today and the better future waiting on the other side. Without the “why,” everything feels like busywork. With the “why,” it feels like purpose.
And don’t just say the why once in a big town hall and call it a day. Bake it into every touchpoint:
- In meetings: Remind people how today’s change management to-do fuels tomorrow’s transformation.
- In dashboards: Show progress toward the bigger goal so the vision feels real.
- In stories: Share examples of how the new system is already making work easier or creating more impact.
People need to hear the why in different ways, from different angles, and yes, multiple times before it sticks. If you feel like you’ve said it too much, you’re probably just starting to say it enough.
Accept That Some People Just Won’t Come Along
Here’s the tough pill: no matter how many quick wins you stack up or how many heartfelt “whys” you repeat, there will be a small group who just won’t budge. Maybe it’s fear, maybe it’s burnout, maybe it’s just plain stubbornness.
As a leader, your job isn’t to drag them kicking and screaming. Your job is to make the path so clear and valuable that most people walk it willingly. For the rest? Sometimes you let natural consequences do the teaching. Systems, culture, and momentum will eventually leave the “I refuse” crowd behind. And that’s okay. Not every single person will adapt, and that doesn’t mean your initiative failed — it means you’re human, leading humans.
Being stuck in the messy middle of change is… well, messy. There’s confusion, frustration, and more than a few “why are we doing this?” moments. But resistance isn’t permanent, and once people start to see the upside, the tide shifts.
Change management isn’t about sugarcoating or spin. It’s about guiding people through uncertainty, one small win at a time, until the future you’ve been pointing to suddenly feels not just possible, but normal. And that’s when the real magic happens: the tech fades into the background, and people get to focus on what really matters — the impact of their work.
Need some support supercharging your change management initiatives? Drop us a note! We’re happy to dive into some proven frameworks for using data and humanization to usher forth your most important transformation pursuits.