How do you get someone to accept change? It’s not easy, right? As I’ve explained in many of my blogs, the brain creates neural pathways and classifies experiences into neat little boxes. When something happens, the brain puts it in the appropriate box. But when there’s no box for it, the brain goes into panic mode and has to quickly create a new one. This is why we are not naturally wired to love change.

So why is it that some people adapt to change more easily than others? And how do we help someone who really doesn’t like change to actually embrace it? Because sometimes, change is not optional. It’s not about deciding whether to wear blue instead of red or choosing between two meals. Sometimes, the change is major and unavoidable—like when a building is being demolished, and the entire office must move to a new location. Even then, some people strongly resist, and it can be very challenging to make them accept the situation.

Watch the video or continue reading.

This is where the LAB Profile® comes in. I’ve spoken about the LAB Profile® before. It stands for Language and Behavior Profile®. These profiles are systems inside our brain that influence everything else—our behaviors, our desires, and our actions. They were created by Roger Bailey and made internationally known by Shelle Rose Charvet, who has been working with the LAB Profile® for over 25 years.

The LAB Profile® can be classified into two categories: Motivation Patterns and Productivity (or Work Style) Patterns. Motivation patterns explain what inspires us to act—like whether or not we accept change. Productivity patterns explain how we work with others. Let’s focus on the motivation patterns, specifically the Decision Factors.

People’s decision-making around change depends on three different factors:

1. Sameness. Some people prefer everything to remain the same. They wear the same type of clothes, eat the same meals, and often order the same dish at restaurants. They find comfort in repetition and stability. For them, a job like payroll—repeating the same process week after week—is perfect. If they were forced into a job that required constant change, they would be very unhappy.
2. Progress or Sameness with Exceptions or Sameness with Exceptions and Difference. These people like things to remain mostly the same but with small improvements here and there—more of this, less of that. Or sometimes, they like long stretches of sameness with occasional big changes, like buying a new car or moving houses, before returning to their usual routine. This profile is often called Progress. They either like gradual improvement or occasional big leaps, followed by a return to stability.
3. Difference. These people dislike when things stay the same. They resist following a path that someone else has already created and prefer to carve out their own. If everyone is going one way, they’ll quickly choose the opposite. They thrive on variety, novelty, and doing things differently.

Let’s look at this from an organizational perspective. A company that does the exact same thing for years may eventually stagnate. For an organization, at least some progress is necessary—whether small changes or major differences. For example, if there’s a major acquisition and the company doubles in size, that’s a clear “Difference” moment.

So, how do we communicate with these different types of people when change is required?

For Sameness people, the secret is to highlight what will stay the same. If the office is moving, don’t tell them how everything will be brand-new and exciting—that will only increase their stress. Instead, reassure them: “You’ll be doing the same job, working with the same people, and using the same computer. We’ll even get furniture similar to what you already have. Your role won’t change.” Emphasize continuity.

For Progress people, frame the change as gradual improvement: “It’s going to be a similar environment, but with a few enhancements. A little more of this, a little less of that. Things will evolve, and you’ll see gradual progress.”

For Difference people, lean into novelty: “This is going to be revolutionary! Brand-new space, completely different, unlike anything we’ve had before.” Use words like unique, shift, transformation, revolutionary. That’s the kind of language that excites them.

The key is to avoid using the wrong type of language with the wrong people. If you tell a Sameness person that everything will be “brand-new,” they’ll panic. If you tell a Difference person that “everything will stay the same,” they’ll disengage.

Hopefully, this gives you some tools and language you can use with people who resist change. By adapting your communication style to their decision factors, you can help them ease into change—sometimes even welcome it.

Check out some of my previous blog posts...