January 5, 2025 by Mike Manazir – (4-5 minutes)

The Brick Chronicles
Breaking Down Resistance, Brick by Brick

Rick Nelson, COO of Baxter’s Bricks, stormed into Sarah Thompson’s office and tossed a customer survey on her desk. “Well, this is just great. Turns out 3D-printed homes aren’t just a threat. Builders love them. One of our biggest clients is already experimenting.”

Sarah leaned back, “Let me guess—they’re saying traditional bricks are dinosaurs.” “Pretty much,” Rick replied. “And that’s just the customers. Wait until you hear what the sales team is saying about this whole pivot to 3D hybrid materials.” “Let me guess,” Sarah said, “a rousing chorus of ‘we’ve always done it this way’?” “Exactly, Rick said and if we don’t break through that, we’ll be printing our resumes next.”

The Team Gathers

Sarah pulled together her leadership team to tackle the mounting resistance.

“Let’s talk customers first,” she started. “They’ve been building with bricks for centuries. How do we convince them to try hybrid materials?”

Jan raised a hand. “We lead with trust. Builders rely on us for quality. Let’s show them how our hybrid materials are just as strong, but lighter, faster to install, and eco-friendly.”

Carla chimed in, “And we need data to back it up. Engineers love numbers. Give them the stats that prove our hybrids perform as well—or better—than traditional bricks.”

Tom added, “We could host demo days where builders see and touch the materials in action. Let them work with the product firsthand.”

Sarah nodded. “Alright, that handles customers. Now, what about us? The sales, production, and service teams are digging in their heels.”

Robert sighed. “It’s fear. Change is scary, especially when it feels like everything they’ve known is being tossed out. We need to show them this isn’t the end of their jobs—it’s the beginning of a better future.”

“Better be quick,” Rick muttered. “I’ve got a sales team ready to riot.”

Tempers Flare in Sales

Rick wasn’t exaggerating. At a sales meeting later that week, tensions boiled over.

“This is ridiculous!” shouted Dave, a longtime sales rep. “I’ve been selling bricks for 20 years. Now you’re telling me I have to learn how to pitch hybrid materials I don’t even believe in?”

“I can’t sell what I don’t trust,” another rep added. “What if this whole 3D thing is just a fad?”

Rick raised his hands, trying to calm the room. “I get it. Change is hard. But if we don’t adapt, those 3D printers will bury us. You won’t just lose your brick sales—you’ll lose your jobs.”

The room fell silent. Sarah, who’d been watching from the back, stepped forward. “Listen, I know this feels like the ground is shifting under your feet. But here’s the truth: if we stick together, we can own this change. You’re not just selling bricks anymore—you’re selling solutions. And that’s something we can all be proud of.”

The Turning Point

Sarah and Rick didn’t stop at their speeches. They rolled out a company-wide change initiative:

1. Transparent Communication: Weekly updates kept everyone informed about why the pivot was necessary and how it was progressing.

2. Hands-On Training: Sales reps attended workshops where they worked with hybrid materials themselves, learning to trust and sell the product.

3. Incentives for Early Adopters: Production teams who adapted quickly earned bonuses, while service teams received public recognition for every smooth hybrid installation.

Tom hosted the first builder demo day, where skeptical customers turned into believers. One builder remarked, “I thought these hybrids would be flimsy, but they’re solid—and lighter. This is going to save us time on the job.”

Meanwhile, Dave, the most resistant sales rep, surprised everyone by closing a major deal with a contractor experimenting with hybrids. “Alright,” he admitted at the next meeting, “maybe these hybrids aren’t so bad. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks.”

Results and Reflections

Within three months, sales of hybrid materials were outpacing projections, and morale across the company had turned around.

At a leadership meeting, Rick grinned. “Who knew? Dave’s now leading the hybrid sales push.”

Jan laughed. “Let’s not tell him we were betting on how long it’d take him to come around.”

Sarah shook her head, smiling. “See? When you lead with transparency and empathy, even the most stubborn bricks can shift.”

Takeaway

Baxter’s Bricks overcame change resistance by addressing fear head-on, empowering employees with training, and showing customers the value of innovation.

“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence
it is to act with yesterday’s logic.“

-Peter Drucker

Lead from your heart. Lead to Win.

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