You're facing resistance from a team member. How do you effectively give feedback to them?

To handle opposition, set up a private meeting to share input. Start with favourable assessments to establish rapport. Clearly define particular behaviours that are creating concern, providing concrete examples. Describe the influence on team relationships and project outcomes. Encourage open communication and carefully listen to their viewpoint. Collaborate to establish practical initiatives for change while providing assistance and resources. Reinforce your dedication to their development and the team's success. Regular follow-up is recommended to assess progress and give continuous feedback. This method encourages mutual respect and productive progress.

In my experience, start by understanding the why behind their resistance. Is it fear, past experiences, or a lack of confidence? Approach the conversation with empathy, creating a safe space for open dialogue. Be specific and constructive in your feedback, focusing on behaviors rather than personal traits. Encourage self-reflection and involve them in finding solutions. Remember, effective feedback is a partnership aimed at growth and improvement. #Leadership

Success starts with how I choose to see the resistance. If I approach it with a negative lens, I’ll miss the mark entirely. But when I remain open, I can hear the unspoken concerns and address the real issue beneath the surface. This not only diffuses resistance but powerfully reaffirms their value to both me and the organization. By reframing resistance as insight, I transform tension into momentum.

Understanding resistance from a team member is crucial. To effectively respond, try to shift your perspective and adopt their position. This approach may help you better understand their mindset and open up more productive dialogue.

Resistance to any change is normal. Most people are happy with the status quo and are comfortable with any change, which they resist. One needs to understand what causes the resistance. is it the discomfort of learning something new? Is it fear of failure? is it uncertainty? Is it a lack of trust in the leadership? The person resisting must be aware of what the change entails and how it can benefit them. What's in it for me needs to be understood. The leader responsible for change managment must create a psychologically safe and trusted space to have an open, empathetic dialogue to explore the resistance and reframe the limiting beliefs causing the resistance. The person resisting needs to feel understood and respected.

The stage for a conversation for a leader or coach with someone testing the change must be a psychologically safe one that the other can trust and express vulnerability in. The conversation format is critical. Tne Coacharya LASIE SET process I use is based on Rosemberg's Non-Violent communication model and David Grove's Clean language framework in an Appreciative Inquiry mode, using ontological and somatic inquiry. The coach listens deeply to verbal and non-verbal expression, exploring sensations, emotions and thoughts to uncover limiting beliefs of resistance. This is a non-judgmental, curious, empathetic and generative process of listening, exploring and creating awareness as to why the change would benefit the individual.

To effectively give feedback to a resistant team member, start by setting the stage in a private, distraction-free environment. Choose a time when both of you can engage fully in the conversation. Begin by affirming the team member's value to the organisation, highlighting their strengths and contributions. Then, calmly express your concerns about their resistance, ensuring that your tone is non-confrontational. Use specific examples to clarify your points related to their behaviour. Emphasise that your goal is to collaboratively seek resolutions, inviting them to share their perspective. This approach fosters open dialogue, encourages a shared understanding, and helps build a constructive path forward.

When giving feedback to a resistant team member, specificity is essential. Clearly identify the specific behaviours causing concern, such as missed deadlines or lack of engagement during meetings. Explain how these actions impact team dynamics and hinder the change process, using concrete examples to clarify your points. For instance, say, "When you don’t contribute in meetings, it leads to missed opportunities for collaboration and a lack of diverse inputs." Avoid generalisations to prevent the feedback from feeling like a personal attack. Instead, focus on the behaviours and their impacts, creating an opportunity for constructive dialogue that encourages improvement and understanding.

Instead of providing vague feedback, which can be unhelpful and demotivating, focus on specific behaviours or actions causing resistance. For example, if a team member hesitates to adopt a new project management tool, you might say, “I noticed you’ve been struggling to update the new system, which is impacting our project timeline. Can we look at where the confusion lies?” This clarity helps the team member understand exactly what needs to change.

Frame your feedback as an opportunity for growth, emphasizing that you’re there to help. For example, you could say, “I understand that adapting to this tool can be challenging. I’d like to offer you some additional training sessions or one-on-one time to work through any questions you have.” This support can alleviate feelings of isolation and promote a collaborative environment.

Create a safe space for open conversation. Ask open-ended questions to encourage the team member to express their feelings and thoughts. For example, you may ask, “What specific concerns do you have about using the new tool, and how can we address them together?” This validates their feelings and fosters a collaborative problem-solving approach, allowing you to understand their perspective better.

Using the ADKAR model for change managment in a situation where the leader is facing resistance, one would first create a psychologically safe and trusted environment to dialogue non-judgmentally, curiously, empathetically and generatively to create awareness of how the change would benefit the individual. The leader will help them with the skills to face the change and then provide the support system to reinforce the new behaviour or skill. The leader can use the Hershey and Blanchard situational leadership model to help the other person as a coach in behavioural changes and as a mentor in skills till they can be accountable on their own. The follow up and reinforcement, when neglected in a change process can prove to be regressive.