Which of the following is NOT a strategy to reduce resistance to change?

• A. Offer support and retraining
• B. Reasonable time frame
• C. Communicate in advance
• D. Increase supervision with penalties

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is how to lessen people’s resistance to change. People push back when they fear losing control, feel unprepared, or don’t understand why the change is happening. Strategies that help reduce this resistance focus on support and preparation: offering retraining so staff can handle new ways of working, giving a realistic timeframe so they can adjust without feeling rushed, and communicating the reasons and details of the change early so there’s clarity and buy-in.

Increasing supervision with penalties, on the other hand, relies on threats to enforce compliance. That approach tends to create fear, reduce trust in management, and can actually increase resistance and disengagement rather than help people adapt. It doesn’t build skills or reduce uncertainty; it just pressures people, which often backfires.

So the option involving penalties isn’t a strategy to reduce resistance to change, whereas providing support, allowing time, and communicating ahead of time are all constructive ways to ease the transition.