‘Everyone is scared of moving from their comfort zone’: CEO Trevor Mallia on resistance to change

Forefront Business Support & Solutions Founder and CEO Trevor Mallia on Saturday stressed that colleagues who might be expressing a willingness to resist change may only be afraid of straying away from their comfort zone.

Businesses are constantly faced with change. Whether it is a small change in the company’s branding, or a total overhaul such as a merger, this undoubtedly brings with it a turbulent environment that leadership must address.

Such change is also not welcomed by everyone at businesses. Certain colleagues may resist change amid fears of losing control or comfort, and this resistance may rub off on other workers. Working with these types of colleagues can be especially difficult, particularly for the individuals managing the change.

However, Mr Mallia noted that it is important for business leaders to understand where these employees are coming from, and why they are so resistant to change.

Mr Mallia is a strategic and management professional with more than 28 years of experience across sales, marketing, port operations and security consulting. He describes himself as an individual who consistently analyses performance data to “evaluate possible time and cost savings or greater sales potential”, and is also an “effective problem solver, trained to manage conflict”. He has led Forefront Business Support & Solutions since 2017, aiming to serve as a “one-stop-stop for all business needs and requirements”.

“Everyone is scared of moving from their comfort zone,” he said about change management.

“Our brain is pre-wired to protect us, so if it senses that we are moving out of our safety bubble, it will react,” he continued. Mr Mallia explained that this often results in fear, a feeling of discomfort, as well as anxiety.

In a bid to address this issue, he pointed out that empathy is “probably the best way” to start.

“We have to look at the resistors as victims more than culprits, and help them to face their fears,” Mr Mallia emphasised.

Business leaders must be able to show the workers the benefits of the new way, and thus “help them embrace the future”.

“I have learnt by experience that many times, good coaching for these types of team members can develop them into the best performers in the team,” he added.

This topic was also touched upon by other global business leaders, who concurred with Mr Mallia’s thinking, stating that change managers must have open conversations with these workers about the situation and what is happening, receiving feedback in the process.

More often than not, it is easier to overcome the challenges that change brings about when the whole team is pulling in the same direction.