Context

In a recent session with a Finance department, I worked with a team facing the growing pains of transitioning toward a new model of working. Like many departments in flux, they were encountering not just logistical hurdles, but deeper emotional and relational barriers that were stalling progress.

As we explored the dynamics in the room, three key themes emerged that seemed to underpin their sense of “stuckness.”

Understanding Change

We began by asking: What does change actually look like for the people in this room?

Too often, organisations assume a shared understanding of change, but the reality is that people experience and interpret it very differently. Some team members felt hopeful and energised; others expressed doubt, overwhelm, or detachment. This raised a deeper question: Do people believe they can meaningfully engage in change, or do they feel it’s happening to them, not with them?

Culture Shift

As the department looked to the future, we explored the cultural shift they were hoping to make.

What kind of environment were they trying to create, and just as importantly, what would need to be left behind? Often, change brings gain and losses. While excitement about innovation was present, there was also a quiet grief for the familiarity, autonomy, or identity that might be lost in the process. Naming both the visible and invisible costs of change became crucial to restoring trust.

Resistance as Communication

One of the most valuable insights came from how the team was understanding resistance. Rather than treating it as mere opposition, we explored it as a form of unspoken communication,  a message acting out what couldn’t yet be said.

What fears or unmet needs were living beneath the surface? What questions were being raised through silence, withdrawal, or passive pushback? In this light, resistance wasn’t the problem, it was a clue.

Reflections

This session reminded me how often organisations move into change with enthusiasm—but without asking enough of the right questions. Genuine transformation requires more than strategic plans; it needs space for people to reflect, feel, and speak into the process.

These three areas: understanding change, naming cultural shifts, and reinterpreting resistance offer useful entry points for any organisation serious about not just managing change, but actually embodying it.