Win Your Inner Resistance in Teams for Project Success

What do you do if you want to combat your inner resistance? Sometimes, it is like a fight with a real enemy. The definition of inner resistance is simple: any act that rejects immediate satisfaction in favour of long-term growth, health, or integrity. And what are the characteristics? It cannot be seen, touched, heard, or smelled. But it can be felt what to do if you resist when you feel a lack of inner motivation, when the job is too easy. Or when you feel overwhelmed with your ambitious plan for the day. The resistance is preventing you from doing your work. What to do if the inner resistance has deep roots in the team members on a project?

A more comprehensive approach may be required if the inner resistance within team members is deeply rooted and affects project progress. Here are some strategies:

Open Dialogue: Encourage open and honest communication. Allow team members to express their concerns and fears. This can help you understand the root cause of the resistance.

Empathy and Understanding: Show compassion and understanding. Acknowledge their feelings and reassure them that it’s okay to feel resistant. This can help build trust and openness within the team.

Professional Development: Offer training and development opportunities to help team members overcome resistance. These could be workshops, courses, or coaching sessions.

Team-Building Activities: Organize team-building activities that strengthen relationships and improve collaboration. This can reduce resistance and improve team dynamics.

Involve team members in Decision-Making: This can make them feel valued and reduce resistance to change. If team members feel that they are planning their activities, they will feel more involved in delivering results.

Positive Reinforcement: Use positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviours. Recognise and reward team members who are making efforts to overcome their resistance.

Seek External Help: If the resistance is deeply ingrained and affecting the team’s performance, it might be helpful to seek help from an external consultant or a professional coach. They can provide a fresh perspective and offer practical strategies to manage and overcome resistance.

Overcoming deep-rooted resistance takes time and patience. It's crucial to maintain a supportive environment and continually reinforce the benefits of change. It’s also essential to address any issues promptly and constructively to prevent them from escalating.

If the project team needs help delivering results, there could be issues connected with the applied project techniques. Then it is an excellent time to run this checklist:

Clearly Define Project Goals and Objectives: Does every team member understand the goals and objectives? Does everyone understand the project goal and the nearest deliverables? And what about customer expectations? Do we see it when we do the daily work tasks? Can we see the benefits the project is providing to the customer?

Develop a Detailed Project Plan: This should include timelines, responsibilities, and critical milestones. Communicate tasks to each team member. Arrange regular meetings and updates that can help keep everyone on the same page. If there are time-constraining tasks, try to limit the number of meetings and encourage 1-on-1 communication. Review progress regularly and adjust as necessary. Monitor contracted scope and adjust using change procedures.

Foster a Positive Team Culture: A supportive and collaborative environment can boost productivity. Be aware of any signs of toxic behaviour. Focus on small, invisible things such as lack of communication, negativity, bullying, or harassment.

Limit Work in Progress: This can help you focus on completing tasks rather than starting new ones. If you are creating a mammoth backlog of tasks, this could easily create firm resistance to progress on any tasks. Make sure you are planning tasks based on the team's available capacity, not on wishful thinking.

Inner resistance, the unseen enemy within us, often hinders our long-term growth and productivity. It’s incredibly challenging when this resistance takes root in project teams and affects progress.

If resistance is deeply ingrained, consider seeking help from an external consultant or coach. Remember, overcoming resistance takes time, patience, and a supportive environment.

When project delivery is at stake, revisit your project management techniques. Ensure a clear understanding of project goals, develop a detailed plan, foster a positive team culture, and limit work in progress based on the team’s capacity.

Remember, every challenge is an opportunity for growth. Keep pushing forward!