Effective organizational change requires altering employee behavior patterns (Spector, 2010). There are many reasons why stakeholders may be resistant to change, including but not limited to; misunderstanding, self-interest, inability to adapt and disagreement with change. It is the job of management to understand this resistance and combat it effectively. There are several tools that can be used to combat resistance to organizational change to increase the chances of effective organizational implementation. This document will look at some of the essential tools and elements I would use to combat resistance to organizational change. Additionally, I will discuss which elements I find essential in most situations and why. Mutual Engagement One of the most basic but sometimes underutilized tools is communication and education through mutual engagement. It is up to organizational leaders to help create and maintain a context that enables, encourages, and enables open and candid dialogue (Spector, 2010). The goal of mutual engagement in a process of shared diagnosis is to unlock “social habits” and create a sense of dissatisfaction with the status quo (Spector, 2010). At its most fundamental level, diagnosis is about learning: learning what needs to be changed and why. The notion of shared diagnosis goes one step further. For change implementation to occur effectively, many employees at multiple hierarchical levels and in various units must change in the same direction (Spector, 2010). It takes more than one person to facilitate change, the diagnosis must be shared by multiple individuals to effectively move towards implementation. One tool that can be used to improve mutual engagement is force field analysis... half of paper... ...., and understanding what drives resistance can be very powerful in eliminating it. There are steps that can be taken to aid in successful implementation, and reducing resistance is the most important. Sometimes just having a plan isn't enough. It is also important to plan for resistance and develop strategies to deal with its effects. Works Cited Palmer, I., Dunford, R. and Akin, G. (2009) Managing Organization Change: A Multiple Perspectives Approach. (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw HillSpector, B. (2010). Implementing organizational change: from theory to practice. (2nd ed.) UpperSaddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.Prosci Change Management Series. Retrieved from http://www.change-management.com/prosci_change_series.pdfTucker, J. (2007). Resistance to change. Retrieved from http://jantucker.suite101.com/resistance-to-change-a28593