TPC Analysis seeks to identify, label and understand sources of resistance as either Technical (sunk costs, lack of skills, and lack of critical resources), Political (issues of power and authority), or Cultural (norms, mindsets, and habits). Building off the Key Constituents Map Template and Attitude Charting Template, this tool helps the team to more clearly understand the nature of the resistance they will likely face and begin to developed a strategy to eliminate or lessen it.
We often assume that once we have discovered a given population relative to the attitude toward change they currently exhibit, we are ready to develop an effective strategy for winning their support. However, too often our analysis of the reason is shallow or inaccurate. This tool enables the team to thoroughly understand the nature of resistance and the specific strategy to use to influence and gain support.
Steps used in performing TPS Analysis
1. Select one of the groups impacted by the change initiative from the pie chart analysis conducted during Stakeholders Analysis, the Key Constituents Map or the Attitude Charting.
2. Ask team members to list all of the reasons this population is resisting the change initiative and then proceed to contain each in one of the three source areas.
3. Assign a percent to each of the three areas (example: a team might decide that only 20% of the resistance is truly technical and the remaining 80% is split 60% political and 20% cultural). This analysis should help the team strategy, regarding how to apply influence pressure to win support (example: do not spend precious time trying to argue the virtues of the project on technical grounds if 60% of the resistance is stemming from company politics or Cultural norms).
4. At a minimum, the team should be able to agree on the nature of the resistance and what it will take to frame the need for change with this perspective in mind.
5. OPTIONal – Use this tool to understand the nature of the resistance the team is meeting from specific individuals within a population, and help the team develop customized pitches for the need for change identified for each individual based on his/her concerns or issues.
Although usually used early on in the change initiative cycle, this tool can and should be used whenever a new source of resistance is identified. Even during the final stages, resistance should be expected. This tool can save the team valuable time in understanding the nature of the resistance.
Teams sometimes have difficulty distinguishing between the three forms of resistance. It is important that the teams discuss each type of resistance before proceeding with the analysis so that all team members are using the same definition of what each type means. Then, gain a general agreement on which of the three categories of resistance is most likely to be driving the resistance the team is meeting which will help the team aim its resources and energy accordingly.