Rebecca Brumm says that many factors play into each person’s individual reaction to change. While some issues, problems and opportunities may be predictable, personal responses will not be.

Some people have different ways of thinking about change. Some have difficulty handling the slightest change. They quickly grow accustomed to routines and feel most comfortable with it

Others may relish in changes and view them as an opportunity to grow. These people regard change to reignite with excitement and passion in their new work environment.

How much experience one has had in handling and managing change in business or in their personal life will have an affect as well.

Having practice and previous experience to fall back on could contribute to greater immunity for the changes at hand. Some will have different ways of handling the change.

Some will need to talk about it, others will prefer to suffer silently. Some will vacate others and become withdrawn, and others may desperately seek others around them for support.

In his book, Diffusion of Innovations, Everett M. Rogers studied the reasons for either adoption to a change) or resistance to it. It comes down to:(1) how people are made and (2) how they are influenced by others about change. 

In general, people are change resistant rather than change friendly. Through this study, and the resulting research, Rogers concluded that there are 5 ways people react to change. So, if you have been beating your head against the wall wondering why you have not seen any results, this might be the reason. Cheer up.

1. 2.5 percent of people dream up new ways of doing things. they are innovators.

2. 13.5 percent of people quickly respond to what they see as a good idea and adopt it. They are early adopters.

3. 34 percent of people are more deliberate in thinking through the innovation but, after consideration, will adapt it. They are the early majority.

4. 34 percent of people are skeptical of innovation but eventually respond after seeing the benefits. They are the late majority.

5. 16 percent of people will probably never respond to change. They are the laggards

Many of us are familiar with the label diehard. Someone who has not changed a bit since they were a child, and now they are eighty.