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Change is...
An opportunity. It enables growth, innovation, and reinvention.
In business, change is...
Inevitable. To misquote Bob Dylan, “If you're not busy living, you're busy dying.” Change is going to happen. Business has to change, to grow, to compete. That’s the why. Then comes the who, where, what, and how of change.
Which means change is...
A choice. Organizations, teams, and leaders decide how to respond or adapt to change. This is not easy.
Change is...
Disruptive. It creates uncertainty. The stomach churns. Brows sweat. Teams feel unsettled or, worse, overwhelmed.
Change is...
Hard. It disrupts people, systems, and processes. Yet because it’s an opportunity, because it’s inevitable, leaders make a choice: to drive through the disruption.
Because, in the end, Change is...
Growth.
To lead through change, you need to know where people stand—what they think, how they feel, and what they’re doing. Everything comes back to this: getting people to see things differently so they can do things differently.
The change spectrum helps you do just that.
It’s a roadmap for identifying behaviors—who’s resisting, who’s supporting, and who’s on the fence—and with it, six practical rules to help you lead change.
The Change Spectrum maps where people stand in relation to change.
Clarity is the name of the game. Understanding behaviors—who’s resisting, who’s on the fence, and who’s actively supporting. With this transparency, you can guide people forward, turning hesitation into hope.
Digging underneath opposition may sound familiar.
In some ways, the Change Spectrum mirrors the Kübler-Ross Stages of Grief—Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance—it recognizes resistance and accepts that progress through change isn’t always linear.
In understanding the Diffusion of Innovations, Rogers grouped people into categories—Innovators, Early Adopters, and Laggards—based on their behavior toward new ideas or technology. Similarly, the Change Spectrum maps behavior, not just abstract attitudes.
Where the Change Spectrum stands out is in its simplicity and practicality.
Traditional change models like ADKAR (ProSci) are mechanical, step-by-step systems for guiding individuals through change. Useful, sure, but often overly detailed for leaders managing large teams. Lewin’s Change Model—Unfreeze, Change, Refreeze—feels rigid. It describes broad organizational shifts but doesn’t offer much in the way of practical steps.
The Change Spectrum is different.
A focus on observable behaviors—what people are doing, not just what they think— simplifies complexity, mapping everything along a single axis: resistance to support.
Leaders see where people are, where they need to go, and how to help them get there.
Resistance to change is as predictable as gravity—and it’s valid. People don’t push back just to be difficult; they have reasons. Those reasons fall into four clear buckets:
The gut reaction: These are the psychological reasons—loss aversion, fear of the unknown, and clinging to comfort zones.
The mental block: Stems from overthinking—overload, confirmation bias, and mistrust of leadership.
The heart and the herd: Emotional and social triggers drive this—loss of control, identity threats, and group resistance.
The roadblocks: These are the tangible obstacles—missing tools, poor communication, and logistical barriers—that make change harder than it needs to be.
These are psychological—the instinctive feelings that bubble up when change looms.
Loss aversion: People fear losing what they value—status, stability, expertise—and the pain of loss cuts deeper than the pleasure of profit.
Fear of the unknown: Uncertainty breeds anxiety. People hesitate to take the leap when they can’t see what’s on the other side.
Comfort zone bias: Change disrupts the familiar, and even flawed routines feel safer than the uncertainty of the unknown.
This is the brain—overthinking, slowing things down, or rejecting new ideas.
Overload and complexity: Too many changes—or poorly introduced ones— overwhelm. Chaos triggers resistance as a defense mechanism.
Confirmation bias: People filter new information through their existing beliefs. If they think the change won’t work, they’ll find reasons to prove it.
Mistrust of leadership: If people don’t trust the messenger, they won’t trust the message. Even great ideas fall flat without credibility.
These reasons come from the heart—and from others around you. Resistance often stems from emotions and the influence of others.
Loss of control: Top-down change can leave people feeling powerless, as if it’s being done to them, not with them.
Identity and status threat: Change that challenges someone’s role or expertise can feel like a personal attack.
Social dynamics: Resistance spreads when vocal skeptics take the lead, pulling others along—even those who might not fully agree.
These are the nuts-and-bolts barriers that make change harder than it needs to be.
Insufficient clarity and resources: Poor communication, lack of training, or missing tools leave people feeling unprepared and overwhelmed.
Past failures and skepticism: A history of false starts or failed initiatives breeds fatigue and cynicism. “We’ve heard this before,” with extra eye-roll.
Perceived unfairness: Change that feels one-sided—benefiting some while burdening others—fuels resentment and resistance.
To put the Change Spectrum into action, to move people from the resistor column to the supporter column, requires persistence and clarity.
These six rules aren’t abstract theories or rigid playbooks. They’re practical tactics to help you lead change:
#1. Map where people are—and remap.
Start by mapping where people are—and keep mapping. Resistance shifts, neutrality evolves, and support grows. Knowing where people stand helps you adapt as you go.
#2. Tell Story 1, and Story 2.
Stories make change relatable. Story 1 explains the urgency—what’s broken and why it matters. Story 2 paints the picture of where you’re headed—a future that’s better, brighter, and worth the effort.
#3. Find the second person.
Movements don’t start alone. They need that first spark—someone who steps up and inspires others to follow. Find the second person. Then the next, and the next.
#4. Go outside to come inside.
The people inside your organization are influenced by what’s happening outside it. Talk publicly about it—share it with customers, announce it to the market. Make it real. External signals strengthen internal resolve.
#5. Keep talking about wins.
Wins are your fuel. They keep the energy alive. Celebrate every positive outcome—big or small—because every success builds belief and momentum.
#6. Use OKRs to stay on track.
Change is messy, but OKRs bring focus. Clear objectives and measurable results align teams, track progress, and keep everyone lined up and moving forward.
Driving change is hard but possible.
These six rules turn the Change Spectrum into action—helping you move people forward, one step at a time.
Gavin McMahon is a founder and Chief Content Officer for fassforward consulting group. He leads Learning Design and Product development across fassforward’s range of services. This crosses diverse topics, including Leadership, Culture, Decision-making, Information design, Storytelling, and Customer Experience. He is also a contributor to Forbes Business Council.
Eugene Yoon is a graphic designer and illustrator at fassforward. She is a crafter of Visual Logic. Eugene is multifaceted and works on various types of projects, including but not limited to product design, UX and web design, data visualization, print design, advertising, and presentation design.
