Inclusive Change

03/09/2026

Resistance in change is often treated as something to overcome.

A difficult person.
A negative attitude.
Someone who simply refuses to get on board.

But what if that isn’t what is happening?

For many people, uncertainty creates a very real nervous-system response. They may need more time to process, clearer information, an opportunity to ask questions or some sense of control over what happens next.

That can show up as silence, frustration, repeated questions, avoidance or apparent resistance.

Of course, people can genuinely disagree with a decision. They may also be raising concerns that leaders need to hear. But if we label every uncomfortable response as resistance, we risk responding to the person instead of understanding what is happening for them.

Good change leadership isn’t about persuading everyone to feel positive.

It is about helping people understand what is changing, what it means for them and how they can move through it without being left behind.

Join Lucy Smith for our free live session:

Leading Change Without Leaving People Behind
Tuesday 22 September at 12pm

Register here:
https://inclusivechange.co.uk/leading-change-webinar-registration

17/08/2026

What happens when change at work makes us feel like we’ve lost control?

We often talk about resistance to change as though people are simply being difficult. But loss of control and influence can create anxiety - and anxiety can trigger some very human responses.

Fight — challenging everything, becoming frustrated, arguing, pushing back.

Flight — withdrawing, avoiding meetings, going quiet, looking for another job.

Freeze — struggling to make decisions, procrastinating, feeling overwhelmed or unable to act.

Fawn — agreeing with everything, trying to keep everyone happy, saying “yes” while privately struggling.

And these behaviours can easily be misread.

“Negative.”
“Disengaged.”
“Not coping.”
“Too emotional.”
“Fine — they haven’t complained.”

So what can leaders do?

First, get curious about the behaviour rather than immediately judging it.

Then look at control and influence. What has this person lost? What decisions can they genuinely influence? Where can you give choice back?

Make the change more predictable. Explain what you know, what you don’t know yet, what happens next and when people will hear from you again.

And importantly, create opportunities for people to ask questions and process what is happening — because communicating at people isn’t the same as involving them in change.

Sometimes the behaviour we label as “resistance” is actually someone trying to regain a sense of safety and control.

That’s exactly the kind of thing we’ll explore in Leading Change Without Leaving People Behind on 22 September.

If you’re leading people through change and want to understand what might really be happening underneath the behaviours you’re seeing, come and join us.

Book your place. I will pop the link in a comment.

28/07/2026

“I’m leading change… but I can’t keep up with the pace.”

I’ve heard this from managers, HR leaders and business owners over the past year.

They’re not resisting change.

They’re trying to lead through wave after wave of it.

AI.

New systems.

Economic pressure.

Restructures.

New expectations.

Just as one change starts to settle, the next one begins.

We often talk about change fatigue as something employees experience.

But what about the people leading it?

The managers expected to answer questions they don’t yet have answers to.

The leaders trying to reassure others while still making sense of the changes themselves.

For me, that’s one of the biggest leadership challenges of 2026.

The answer isn’t to move faster.

It’s to lead in a way that gives people clarity, confidence and somewhere to anchor themselves.

27/07/2026

“I feel like I’ve failed them.”

Those words have stayed with me over the years.

I’ve heard them from parents who have spent years fighting for support, sitting through meetings, navigating waiting lists, advocating at school, helping their young person through college, interviews, anxiety, burnout and uncertainty.

They don’t say it because they don’t love their child.

They say it because they do.

If this is how you’re feeling today, I’d like you to know something.

You are not the only parent carrying these thoughts.

Sometimes the people doing the very best they can are the hardest on themselves.

If this resonates with you, thank you for reading.

And if you know a parent who needs to hear this today, perhaps share it with them.

19/07/2026

On the latest episode of It's Probably Fine, our podcast on crisis leadership and decision-making, guest Stuart Barker takes us inside a real operation where a clean win nearly became a crisis in the space of sixty seconds.
If you lead a team, this is worth the listen.
Full episode 🎧 link in bio. 🎙️ Hosted by and Jemma Davis

16/07/2026

We have been a bit quiet of late on the socials… why? We hear you ask…

Well, it may have been quiet online but behind the scenes we have been working on updating our website, resources and events to better represent what we do.

There is still work to do - if you take a scroll through the pages you are sure to find some glitches. (Do let us know if you do - be kind though!)

We have new resources that have been updated for 2026 including Inclusion Matters eBook and a managers neurodiversity toolkit.

New webinar topics coming in Autimn starting with Leading Change without leaving people behind.

We also have Decidr live events giving you a chance to experience an immersive online crisis simulation (not just cyber). These run throughout Summer

We know change can be difficult - and creating this has been a change project in itself! But change is what we do!

What do you think?

16/07/2026

It’s been a bit quiet on here hasn’t it? Why is that you ask? It’s because we have been building a whole new website and updating our resources and setting a new series of webinars and training. Take a look at inclusivechange.co.uk and find out what we offer. What do you think? futureofwork

22/06/2026

A weeks ago one of our mentees completed training to become Oliver mcGowan mandatory training “expert by experience.

With support from mentors Inclusive Change Ltd and training provided by JSI Training she now has an additional skill on her CV and will begin her part time work as a Tier 1 trainer.

Not only that she has gained confidence in public speaking and presentation skills which are key competencies for employment and self employment.

Mentoring with Inclusive Change Ltd takes many formats, from 1:1 online sessions to group social sessions online or even in person work in our base in Bradley Stoke.

Read all about it here…

Becoming an Oliver McGowan trainer: Oliver's story, why this NHS training matters, and one trainer's honest experience of certification.

17/06/2026

Come and see Lucy Smith speaking at The Samphire Club event in Exeter this June.

Practical conversations around leadership, accountability, and neurodiversity at work.

Book here: https://thesamphireclub.co.uk/networking-events/?pager=194&CID=11012&PID=809&tab=events

05/06/2026

Join Lucy Smith at The Courtyard Exeter for a practical workshop exploring leadership, neurodiversity, and decision-making in the workplace.

A morning of networking, discussion, and real-world leadership scenarios.

Book here: https://thesamphireclub.co.uk/networking-events/?pager=194&CID=11012&PID=809&tab=events