Change Management for Startups & SMEs (Part 3):Who Is Really Affected by Change and Why Silent Resistance Matters

By: Nhi Hong

When founders think about change, they usually focus on structure:

• new processes

• new roles

• new tools

• new KPIs

But change doesn’t land on spreadsheets.

It lands on people.

And not everyone experiences it the same way.

One of the biggest reasons change struggles in startups and SMEs is not because people openly resist.

It’s because resistance often stays quiet.

Why Founders Miss Resistance

In many growing companies, change meetings look like this:

The founder explains the new direction.

Everyone nods. No one argues.

It feels like alignment.

But weeks later:

• behavior hasn’t changed

• old habits quietly return

• progress slows

Founders often feel confused:

“They agreed. Why isn’t this working?”

Because agreement in meetings is not the same as commitment in daily work.

Especially in SMEs, people tend to avoid confrontation with founders.

They don’t want to seem negative.They don’t want to create tension.They don’t feel safe challenging decisions.

So resistance becomes silent.

And silent resistance is harder to manage than open disagreement.

Change Affects People Very Differently

Even when the change is objectively positive, individuals experience it in personal ways.

• Some people see opportunity.

• Some see risk.

• Some feel relieved.

• Some feel threatened.

A useful way to think about this is to group people by their natural response to change.

The Four Common Groups in Any Change

You’ll usually find these 4 types in every organization:

1. Champions

These are the people who:

• understand the reason for change quickly

• support it actively

• help others adapt

They don’t just agree, they participate.

They are your early momentum.

2. Neutral majority

Most employees sit here.

They don’t strongly support or oppose change.

They wait.

Their behavior depends on:

• what leaders reinforce

• what peers do

• what becomes “normal”

This group ultimately decides whether change becomes reality.

3. Silent resistors

This is the most underestimated group.

They rarely argue.

Instead, they:

• delay execution

• follow old habits quietly

• comply superficially

• avoid taking ownership

They don’t block change openly, they slow it down invisibly.

In startups and SMEs, this group is often larger than founders realize.

4. Active blockers

These people:

• openly criticize

• challenge decisions

• influence others negatively

They are visible.

Because they are loud, founders tend to focus on them.

But in practice, silent resistance usually causes more damage.

Resistance Is Usually About Uncertainty, Not Attitude

It’s tempting to label resistance as “bad mindset”.

Sometimes that’s true.

But more often, resistance comes from:

• unclear expectations

• fear of losing relevance

• lack of confidence in new skills

• confusion about priorities

• previous change initiatives that didn’t last

People ask themselves:

• Will I still be valuable?

• Will I be evaluated differently?

• Will I fail in this new setup?

• Does leadership really mean this?

If these questions remain unanswered, resistance is natural.

Why Middle Layers Matter More Than Founders Expect

In many SMEs, founders focus on:

• themselves

• senior leaders

• frontline staff

The middle layer such as team leads, supervisors, senior individual contributors...often gets overlooked.

Yet this group:

• translates strategy into daily execution

• shapes team behavior

• sets informal norms

If middle leaders are not aligned, change rarely reaches the ground.

Even when founders are fully committed.

Middle layers don’t need to be perfect.

But they need clarity, involvement, and support.

Otherwise, they become accidental bottlenecks.

A Simple Stakeholder Mapping Exercise

Before launching change, take time to map your people.

For each key group or individual, ask:

1. How will this change affect their daily work?

2. What might they gain?

3. What might they lose?

4. How much influence do they have?

5. Where do they currently stand: champion, neutral, silent, or blocker?

This doesn’t need to be complicated.

A simple table or whiteboard is enough.

The goal is awareness.

Once you see the landscape, you can design your approach more intentionally.

Practical Ways to Reduce Silent Resistance

Here are actions founders can take early:

1. Involve people before decisions feel final

Even limited input increases ownership.

People support what they help shape.

2. Be specific about what will change, and what won’t

Ambiguity fuels anxiety.

Clarity builds trust.

3. Create safe spaces for concerns

Not everyone will speak in group meetings.

Small conversations matter.

4. Use champions strategically

Let respected team members model new behaviors.

Peer influence is powerful.

5. Watch behavior, not words

Real adoption shows up in:

• how work is done

• how decisions are made

• what people prioritize

Not in meeting agreement.

Final Thought

Change doesn’t fail loudly.

Most of the time, it fades quietly.

Understanding your people, especially the silent majority, gives you a much better chance of building change that actually sticks.

What Comes Next

Now that we’ve explored who is affected by change, the next step is execution.

In Part 4, we’ll walk through a practical Change Playbook for startups and SMEs:

• how to diagnose the current state

• how to define a realistic future state

• how to bridge the gap step by step

• and how to reinforce change so it lasts

This is where strategy turns into action.

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