10 Ways to Minimize Resistance

Resistance is normal – both to what is being taught and to how it is being taught. What we want to do is minimize resistance so that it does not negatively interfere with learning. Here are 10 ways to do this:

1. Prioritize Safety. Learners need to feel emotionally, physically, and psychologically safe enough to authentically engage with new content and with each other. If they don’t, they may start to resist the process or not fully engage. Learning new content takes courage and a willingness to be vulnerable – learners need to feel safe for this to be possible.
2. Have an agenda early. Tell learners in advance what they will be learning or meeting about. Getting rid of the element of surprise will minimize resistance.
3. Provide choice. Offering learners choices on how to learn or how to do something can minimize resistance. They will appreciate the feeling of having input in their learning.
4. Practice transparency. Explain to learners why you are doing something that may be different from what they are used to. Once they understand there is a reason they will resist less.
5. Clarify relevance. When learners do not understand how something is important in their life they will resist the learning experience. Help learners know why this content is important for their lives or work. Relevance is key for adult learners.
6. Check in. You can check in with learners privately during a break or with the entire group at the end of a session. If you invite them to tell you honestly how a session is going, and they see you respond to their feedback, resistance will be reduced.
7. Stick to the program. Don’t change the learning agenda unless you have a good reason and explain it to the group. Flexibility is important. However, unless the change will benefit the learners and their learning, you should stick to the plan.
8. Show respect. Showing respect to all learners can minimize resistance. People will react negatively to feeling that they or others are left out or undervalued.
9. Give affirmation. Everyone likes to be appreciated and affirmed. The more you do this, the less resistance you will have from your learners.
10. Welcome it! Minimizing resistance is helpful. However, never avoid it when it shows up. If you do, it will most likely build and come back stronger. Sometimes the best learning happens from tough debate, uncomfortable challenge, and surprising questions.