We so easily default to calling people who don't readily accept change or transitions “resistant”. But change and transitions are much more nuanced than that.

They happen at several levels - from the individual to the greater systems they are part of. Structures or processes can enable new ways of doing things or make them almost impossible; culture matters; so does timing.

And there is always a context: how change has been done around here before, how things are done around here right now, what people experienced, what worked, what didn't, what was promised and what actually happened.

I've been reading Oreg & Sverdlik's 2026 review of the research on how people respond to organisational change. There are, I think, a lot of useful ideas we could use to look at our own transitions and changes at work, or when working with others going through them.

I start with RESPONSE TO CHANGE rather than resistance.

One useful way of looking at our response is to separate what we think, feel and do about the change.

What do I THINK about it?

I may think the change is necessary. Or that the way it is being done doesn't make sense. I may believe it will make things better, that it won't work, that it is unfair, that management will change its mind again in six months, or that I don't yet know whether I can succeed in the new reality.

What do I FEEL about it?

I may be curious, relieved or excited. I may also be anxious, angry, disappointed or sad about something I am losing. And I can feel several of these at the same time.

What am I actually DOING?

I may be experimenting with the new way of working, helping others with it, doing what is required but nothing more, questioning decisions, postponing things, continuing to work in the old way, or slowly withdrawing my effort.

What I find useful here is that these three don't have to match:

• I can believe a change makes perfect business sense and still be afraid of what it means for my role.

• I can be angry about how a decision was made and still work hard to make the new situation work.

• I can say that I am fine with the change and continue doing things exactly as before.

• Or I can disagree openly and point to problems that genuinely need attention.

So, if you are going through a transition yourself, it may be useful to separate these three for a moment: What am I thinking about this change? What am I feeling about it? What am I actually doing? The discrepancies between them may tell you more than a general conclusion such as “I'm struggling with this change”.

And if you are leading other people through change, you can apply the same distinction. Someone questioning the change, someone worried about it, someone continuing with an old behaviour or someone who has stopped caring are not showing the same response. Calling all four “resistant” doesn't help us understand what is going on or what, if anything, needs to change.

The paper, if you want it: Oreg, S. & Sverdlik, N. (2026). Responses to Organizational Change: Evolution of the Concept, Established Findings, and Future Directions. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 13, 387-413.