The Real Reason Your Team Resists Change (And How to Solve It)

Most leaders have been there: You roll out a new initiative, ask your team to embrace the change, and expect enthusiasm. Instead, you get hesitation, resistance, or outright pushback. You scratch your head—why aren’t they on board?

One word: Incentives.

The Hidden Reason Your Team Resists Change

As leaders, we make this mistake all the time. We ask employees to take risks, adopt new processes, or learn new skills—yet we continue to measure and reward them based on the old way of doing things.

Here’s the problem: People do what they’re incentivized to do. If their performance, bonuses, promotions, and recognition are still tied to the old metrics, why would they take a chance on something new?

Imagine a sales team that’s traditionally been rewarded for closing deals fast. Now, leadership wants them to prioritize long-term client relationships over quick wins. If their KPIs and commissions still favor speed over sustainability, they’ll stick with the old behavior—because that’s what they’re rewarded for.

This isn’t about employees being stubborn. It’s about human nature. We all weigh risk versus reward, and if the risk of change doesn’t come with a meaningful reward, most people will default to what’s safe.

The Simple Fix: Align Incentives With the Change You Want

If you want people to embrace change, you need to make it worth their while. Ask yourself these questions:

• What’s in it for them? If employees take a risk, how do they benefit?

• Are we measuring the right things? Do KPIs reflect the new behaviors we want to see?

• Does compensation match the expectation? Are bonuses, raises, or promotions tied to success in the new system?

How to Make Change Stick:

✅ Tie rewards to new behaviors. If you want innovation, recognize and reward experimentation—even if it doesn’t always succeed. If you want collaboration, ensure promotions favor team players, not just individual contributors.

✅ Redefine success metrics. If you’re asking for quality over quantity, change how performance is measured. If customer satisfaction matters more than call volume, update KPIs accordingly.

✅ Celebrate early adopters. Publicly recognize and reward those who embrace change. People need proof that taking the leap is worth it.

The Bottom Line

If you’re asking your team to change without changing how you measure and reward success, you’re setting yourself up for frustration. Align your incentives with the behavior you want, and you’ll stop fighting resistance—and start fueling real progress.

What’s one incentive you can shift today to make change easier for your team?