Methods For Addressing Client Concerns About Change

After 10+ years leading change, one thing I’ve learned: Skeptics aren’t obstacles. They’re signals. They show you where trust is weak. Win them over, and they often become your strongest allies. Here’s how to do it in practice: 1/ Start by Listening → Ask: “What worries you most about this shift?” → Write it down. Patterns reveal real resistance points. 2/ Acknowledge the Loss → Say it out loud: “I know this means re-learning old processes, it’s not easy.” → Naming the cost earns respect. 3/ Show Proof, Not Promises → Run a small pilot. Collect results and share them. → Tangible wins quiet doubts faster than speeches. 4/ Involve Skeptics Directly → Invite them into workshops or feedback sessions. → Ownership reduces pushback. 5/ Connect to Shared Purpose → Link the change to something bigger: “This helps clients get answers faster.” → Purpose gives change meaning. 6/ Be Visible and Consistent → Host regular check-ins. Show up every time. → Skeptics notice and trust grows. 7/ Celebrate Small Wins Publicly → Highlight early adopters and results. → Recognition turns them into examples others follow. The truth is: you don’t “convince” skeptics overnight. You build trust one action at a time. And trust is what makes change stick. -- Follow me, Daniel Lock, for practical tips for leading change, consulting & thought leadership

Good CSM’s sniff out risks towards customers achieving their goals; Great CSM’s share these risks with the customer. It feels pretty scary; telling a customer that they’re on the wrong track. But that’s the job - don’t tell customers what they want to hear - tell them what they need to hear. Obviously don’t stop at flagging the risk but offer a solution to get them on track. Here are a couple of classics 1. No clear application owner What you can tell your customer “It looks like we don’t have a clear application owner to drive this change" What you can propose as a solution “Let’s identify a key stakeholder who will own this process and act as a point of contact to keep everything on track. I can help you outline their responsibilities to make this role easier to adopt.” 2. No integrations enabled What you can tell your customer “Without integrations, your workflows remain siloed, and you will not realize the full value of the solution that you paid for’ What you can propose as a solution “We can review which integrations would bring the most immediate benefit and provide help to set them up quickly.” 3. Bad use case selected What you can tell your customer “It seems the current use case doesn’t align with your goals, which will limit the impact we’re aiming to deliver.” What you can propose as a solution “Let’s revisit your objectives and align on a use case that drives measurable results. I can show you how other customers have done it’ 4. Unrealistic goals What you can tell your customer “The current goals might be too ambitious given the timeline and resources, which could lead to frustration.” What you can propose as a solution “Let’s recalibrate the goals to make them achievable and set milestones that demonstrate steady progress.” 5. No user buy-in What you can tell your customer “I’ve noticed limited engagement from end users, which could impact adoption and overall success.” What you can propose as a solution “We can schedule a user-focused session to showcase the value and gather feedback. Shall we connect them to a user from another customer?’

You know that sinking feeling… Someone interrupts your carefully prepared presentation with “But what about...?” and raises a point you never considered. Everyone is looking at you, and you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. In that moment, the idea or solution you’ve been presenting weighs in the balance. Address the resistance well, and your idea will likely be adopted with even more optimism than before. Address it poorly, and your idea is as good as gone. Here’s a quick overview of my “RAP” formula that you can use in these moments to turn blindside objections into “aha” moments. 1. R: Recognize the type of resistance you’re facing: - Logical resistance (conflicting data or reasoning) - Emotional resistance (values or identity challenges) - Practical resistance (implementation concerns) 2. A: Address it proactively in your presentation: - For logical resistance: Acknowledge competing viewpoints before they’re raised. "Some might point to last quarter’s numbers as evidence against this approach. Here’s why that perspective is incomplete..." - For emotional resistance: Connect your idea to their existing values. "This initiative actually strengthens our commitment to customer-first thinking by..." - For practical resistance: Demonstrate you’ve considered the real-world constraints. "I know this requires significant change. Here’s our phased implementation plan that accounts for..." 3. P: Provide a path forward that transforms resistance into alignment: - Give them space to voice concerns (but in a structured way) - Incorporate their perspective into the solution - Show how addressing their resistance actually strengthens the outcome The most powerful thing you can say in a presentation isn’t "trust me", it’s "I understand your concerns." When you genuinely see resistance as valuable feedback rather than an obstacle, you’ll find your ideas gaining traction where they previously stalled. #CommunicationSkills #BusinessCommunication #PresentationSkills

“That’s how it’s always been done.” “This won’t work in our industry.” “You’re too new to get it.” If I had a penny for every time I heard these lines when proposing a change—I’d probably be running a unicorn startup by now. 😅 I still remember one of my first experiences in a new role. I suggested revisiting a job description—not to overhaul it, but simply to remove ambiguities, overlaps, and duplication of work that had crept in over time. The reaction? “This JD has worked for years. No one’s complained so far.” There it was: the resistance wall. Over the years, I’ve seen this play out across functions and industries: 🔹 A new joiner suggests digitizing a manual report—gets told, “This Excel sheet has worked for us for 10 years.” 🔹 A manager proposes flexible shift timings—hears, “Our clients expect us to be online 9 to 6.” 🔹 A team member raises a safety concern about slippery delivery ramps in monsoon and recommends anti-skid mats—gets dismissed: “We’ve never had an accident. Just be cautious.” 🔹 A process engineer suggests eliminating a redundant approval step to speed things up—only to be told, “That’s how our hierarchy works. Don’t skip protocol.” What’s really going on here? ➡️ Change triggers fear—of disruption, of being proven wrong, of additional effort. ➡️ Defensiveness kicks in—especially when the idea comes from someone “new” or “junior.” ➡️ And improvement turns into a power struggle, instead of a shared goal. But here’s what experience teaches you: 💡 Resistance doesn’t always mean rejection. It often means someone feels unsure, unprepared, or undervalued. So how do we move from resistance to reflection? ✅ Start with what’s working—and build from there. ✅ Ask instead of assert—“What if we tried this for a week?” ✅ Show vs sell—pilot it, demonstrate the impact. ✅ Involve, don’t impose—people support what they help create. ✅ Leaders: protect and back your changemakers—especially the quiet, persistent ones. 🌱 Most change doesn’t need a revolution. Sometimes, it just needs someone to ask: “Would you be open to a better way?” ⸻ What’s a change you tried suggesting that hit resistance? Did you push through—or pivot? Let’s talk about it 👇 #ChangeManagement #LeadershipInAction #WorkplaceCulture #OrganizationalChange #HRStories #VoiceAtWork #ContinuousImprovement #RealWorkplaceTalk #BreakingBarriers #ModernWorkplace #PsychologicalSafety P.S my own change met with resistance and then just becoming the norm.

Dear New Business Analyst, Your role extends beyond merely gathering and eliciting requirements and mapping processes; you are also a Change Agent who helps drive transformations (system implementation/enhancement, new processes, etc.) that impact the entire organisation. You have a unique position and responsibility to guide change, ensuring it aligns with both the needs of the business and the expectations of end users. When a new system or process is introduced, users may hesitate or refuse to adopt it because they are resistant to change. This is where we, as business analysts, play a crucial role. To drive real impact, we collaborate closely with change managers. Together, we ensure that the people impacted actively embrace the transformation. Here are a few tips to embrace your role as a Change Agent: ✅ Identify all stakeholders: Business Analysts play a crucial role in identifying all stakeholders impacted by the change. This includes users, management, and external partners. ✅ Engage Early and Often: Take the initiative to understand the impact of changes on stakeholders. Discuss how the transformation influences their daily tasks, challenges, and overall workflow. By understanding their needs, you can advocate for solutions that directly address their concerns. ✅ Communicate Clearly: Collaborate with change managers to create informative and reassuring messages. When users understand the reasons for the change, they are more open to it. ✅ Design with Empathy: Understand how this transformation impacts each stakeholder. Act as a bridge, translating user needs into realistic and beneficial requirements. ✅ Develop Change Strategies: Create detailed change management plans with the change manager, including communication, training, and support strategies. ✅ Monitor Progress: Monitor the change initiative's progress and make adjustments based on user feedback and engagement levels. As always, I wish you success in your Business Analysis journey. #businessanalyst

16 years of dealing with all types of interior design clients taught me how to communicate without being rude. In interior design, the difference between a good designer and a great one often lies in communication skills. After countless client meetings and team discussions, I've learned that being direct doesn't mean being difficult. Recently, during a high-stakes project review, I needed to address timeline delays with a client. So instead of saying, "Constant changes on your end are causing delays," I said: "I'm concerned about meeting our completion date. When we receive design changes mid-execution, it impacts our schedule by X days. What if we set a specific milestone to consolidate any changes?" This structure transformed a potentially tense conversation into productive problem-solving. The magic lies in the method: 1. Start with context. Frame the conversation around shared goals. "I'm bringing this up because I want to ensure we deliver on time." 2. Listen first, respond second. Understanding others' perspectives often reveals solutions you hadn't considered. 3. The most powerful phrase I've ever come across is "What if we..." It can turn any criticism into collaboration. These techniques have saved many projects and client relationships. Even deliver exceptional results. That's why I tell my team to always remember: In design, as in life, it's not what you say – it's how you say it. What's your communication strategy with clients? #communication #professional #clients

When I first started managing client relationships in the early days of Pursuit, I thought once we got a contract signed, the hard work was over. But anyone in the implementation world knows that once you get a client to say “yes”, the real work begins. You have to work with the client to adjust their process to what your service/product provides in order for the client to win. That’s where change management comes in. Change doesn’t happen just because leadership approved a new service or product. The boss might sign off, but they’re not the ones adjusting their workflows and dealing with the impact of the change. So you can't stop at that one relationship or adoption will stall before it even gets off the ground. You have to go deeper and build a web of relationships! You must I.D. the people whose day to day will be impacted by any new change. Their buy-in doesn’t come from an executive decision. It comes from building trust and helping them fully understand why this new thing they can utilize will be good for them. So work to understand their world. ✅ What does this change mean for them? ✅ What challenges does it create? ✅ What pain points are they anticipating? If they see the long-term win, they’ll be the ones pushing the change forward for full adoption.

A few years ago, I was working with a team that had just undergone a significant organizational restructuring. One of the team members had been with the company for over a decade and was deeply uncomfortable with the sudden changes. He shared with me privately, “I’m not sure I can adapt to all of this. It feels like everything I’ve known is being turned upside down.” I could see how his discomfort was starting to impact his engagement and overall performance. So, I took a step-by-step approach to help him navigate his uncertainty: 1. Start with Listening and Acknowledgment Instead of jumping straight into action mode, I took time to truly listen to his concerns. I acknowledged his feelings and the simple validation by saying something along the lines of, “It’s completely normal to feel uncertain right now. Change can be difficult, especially when it’s unexpected.” This simple validation made him feel heard and respected. 2. Reframe the Situation I asked him to share what he found most frustrating about the change. As he explained, I guided him to see it from a different angle. Instead of focusing on what was being lost, I encouraged him to think about what new opportunities could emerge. This wasn’t an immediate shift, but by asking questions like, “What’s one thing you’re curious to try now that this change is in place?” he started to see small, potential positives. 3. Set Small, Actionable Steps To make the change less overwhelming, we broke down the new expectations into smaller steps. We set goals for the week—things he felt comfortable trying, like using a new project management tool or participating in a different type of team discussion. Each time he completed a small step, I made sure to celebrate the progress, reinforcing his willingness to adapt. 4. Encourage Peer Support I paired him with another team member who was more comfortable with change. They became accountability partners, exchanging tips and supporting each other through the transition. This peer connection made him feel less isolated and more willing to experiment with the new way of working. 5. Reflect and Reinforce After a few weeks, I scheduled a follow-up conversation with him to reflect on his journey. He shared that while he wasn’t completely comfortable with the changes yet, he felt more capable and confident in handling them. I reinforced the progress he had made, reminding him of where he started and how far he’d come. The transformation wasn’t overnight, but by meeting him right where he was and guiding him through small, intentional actions, I watched him shift from resistance to a willingness to try. That’s the power of patience and coaching through change. If you have a team member struggling with change - be patient. Start small, listen deeply, and celebrate every step forward. #Leadership #ChangeManagement #TeamDevelopment #CoachingThroughChange

"Our team is resisting the changes we need to make." I hear this constantly from CEOs navigating market uncertainty. But here's what I've learned building and scaling teams from 0 to 10,000+ people: Resistance isn't about the change itself. It's about how it's managed. Think about it: Most of your strategic planning happens in executive meetings. You develop context and conviction over weeks or months. Then you announce it to the organization... and expect immediate buy-in. That's like jumping into chapter 7 of a book and wondering why readers are confused. After 20+ years helping organizations navigate transitions, here are 5 steps for successful change management: 1. Start earlier than you think Getting buy-in takes time. Begin socializing concepts before decisions are final. 2. Create feedback loops Form cross-functional working groups to pressure test ideas. Let people shape the solution and identify challenges. 3. Overcommunicate context Share the why, not just the what. Help people see the full picture you see. 4. Create working groups beyond the C-suite Form small functional focus groups across levels to pressure test ideas and surface blind spots. Recently, a client's product pivot seemed perfect until a working group flagged major engineering implications that had been missed. 5. Map second and third-order effects That "simple" UI change? It might require new engineering capabilities, additional QA resources, and updated customer support training. Surface and map these downstream impacts before executing. Remember: Your people are your competitive advantage. Bring them along thoughtfully. What change management challenges are you facing? Drop a comment - always happy to help think through solutions.