1. EMBRACING RESISTANCE InSAI Indiana Student Achievement Institute
Our school has chosen to be involved with an “outside” coach to help us with our school improvement planning. That coach is the Indiana Student Achievement Institute. This presentation will help us understand InSAI’s work.

2. RESISTANCE is normal!
It’s important to realize that resistance is normal. We all have varying degrees of tolerance for change, but we are all resistant to some degree because change takes us out of our comfort zone. If a school says they have no resistance, they probably haven’t asked their faculty/community to do anything that differs greatly from what they are currently doing.

3. RESISTANCE is the outward expression of the fear of losing something
It’s very important to understand the fear behind resistance. Once we understand people’s fears, we can work to help them overcome those fears.
© Reynolds and Hines, 2002

4. RESISTANCE What does it look like? sound like?
Let’s think about what resistance looks like and sounds like.
Note: Ask the group to describe what people (including ourselves) 1) look like when they’re being resistance and 2) what they sound like when they’re being resistant. Record their answers on an overhead or flip chart.
© Reynolds and Hines, 2002

5. Looks like . . .
Sounds like . . .

6. RESISTANCE What FEAR might be triggering the resistance?
“Fear of losing _____.”
How can we help someone who has this fear?
Now that we know what people look and sound like when they’re feeling resistance, what fears do you think might be triggering the resistant.
Note: Start out the discussion with the stem “Fear of losing ____.” Participants sometimes give long descriptions in their answers or move away from the fear concept and start describing resistant behavior again. You can bring them back by saying, “So that shows a fear of losing _____.” Common answers: time, expertise, control, autonomy.
Note: Following the fear brainstorm, select one or two fears (we suggest you use the fear of loosing time and/or control since those tend to be prominent for many). Then say . . .
Let’s look at a couple of these fears. Let’s start with _____. What could we do to help someone move past this fear?
Note: Write the selected fear on an overhead or flip chart paper. Add people’s comments.
Note: The main idea of this presentation is that resistance does not provide us with a reason for stopping our school improvement efforts. Resistance is normal. It reflects a fear of losing something. Our task is to figure out the fear behind the resistance and then to implement strategies to address that fear.
© Reynolds and Hines, 2002

7. Common Fears
Fear of loosing . . .

8. Strategies to Reduce Fear
Fear of loosing:
TIME
Strategies to Reduce Fear: 1.

9. Don’t take it personally
RESISTANCE TIPS
Triggered by fear
Listen to the message
Struggle = Engagement
Don’t take it personally
Note: Review

10. Embracing YOUR Resistance
Team Activity: Moving Through
Change Chart
Note: Ask participants to complete the “Moving Through Change Chart” (may be downloaded from the InSAI 2002 Materials page). Stress that the emphasis should be on identifying the fear behind the resistance and then implementing strategies to address that fear(s).

11. EMBRACING RESISTANCE InSAI Indiana Student Achievement Institute
Our school has chosen to be involved with an “outside” coach to help us with our school improvement planning. That coach is the Indiana Student Achievement Institute. This presentation will help us understand InSAI’s work.