Opposition as an Anchor: Why resistance is important for organizational change

Devout non-supporters are vital to organizational progress. They act as the far extreme - or the anchor - for the progress being made.

If there is opposition, it means the current campaign is worthy and bold enough to be pushed against.

These extremes identify and locate our outer limit and those willing to speak up defiantly let us know how much further we still need to go. It is an organization's form of echolocation.

Change is like a bolder in a river…

• The water will move around it… and the bolder will become irrelevant.
• The water will erode it… and the bolder will submit.
• We remove the bolder… and while the bolder no longer exists, the water must adapt to its absence.