Change is all around us. Many of us buy new cars, computers, phones, and clothes; paint our homes in new colors; try new food; and plant different things in the garden. We are fairly good at adapting to a lot of change, especially if it is our own idea. But there are people who will resist change, and it often seems related to their belief that they may lose control or something else that is valuable to them.

Making lasting changes is even tougher. People know that smoking is bad for them, but they smoke anyway. People know that they should maintain a healthy weight and exercise, but many people do not. They know that taking the bus to work is probably better for the environment and less expensive than driving, but they drive anyway.

Think about these situations:

• Does an employee resist a raise in salary or increased vacation allowance?
• Do you hang on to a cranky old car and resist being given a new one?
• Does a supervisor resist an imposed schedule change that has them representing the department at an important reception for the new company CEO, rather than finishing the quarterly budget?