The picture below shows two brilliant management consultants unwinding at the counter of a downtown bar. Note the subtle difference between the white text balloons and the grey ones. White = categorized, judged, stuck, isolated, done. Grey = puzzled, eager to find out, preparing for interaction.
The point of this post is to offer you an alternative interpretation of resistance. For all the people that you labeled as “resistant,” have a look at the following alternatives in the grey text balloons.
When we label a person as “resistant,” we stop the conversation and we place ourselves high above it. Rather than sitting in judgment (ISOLATION), seek additional information that would help you understand the person’s reactions (INTERACTION).
The only way out is through… which text balloons would give us the best chance of getting through?
