Change is good. Change is not to be feared. You cannot get anywhere without moving forward, and as always, you've got to move with the times. These sentiments are common and we all know them. However, it's one thing to know, and quite another to experience. When your business goes through change, there are many dynamics all going on at the same time. Some are obvious; some aren't. The trick is to deal with what you can see, while always looking for the hidden problems.

Anecdote is an Australian business narrative service company specializing in management, collaboration, and change. In their blog, they talk about preparing leadership for company change. Specifically they hold that even in a homogenous group, there will be people who obscure not only their resistance to change, but also what part of change they specifically have a problem with.

An interesting exercise they propose - that they found on Ken Thompson's blog - is a simple test to ascertain people's specific resistance to change. For this test, gather your leadership in a room and get each one to say aloud the phrase: "We can't do that here." While each person says the line, pay close attention to which word they stress. Here is a breakdown of which emphasis means what:

We - they are worried about their Identity
Can't - they are worried about their beliefs and values
Do - they are worried about their skills
That - they are worried about their behavior
Here - they are worried about the environment

Once you know generally where your leaders' concerns are, you can then individually talk to them to discover what specifically they have a problem with. Of course, they may not even know the concern that is subconsciously bothering them, but it will be good for you, them, and your business to find out.