Why Do People Struggle with Change?

Change is an essential part of growth and innovation. In both professional and personal life, change is the only constant.
And yet, many people approach it with skepticism – or even resistance.
Personality plays a decisive role here.
What’s especially interesting is how the distribution of DISC profiles influences how individuals respond to change.

What is the DISC model? The DISC model identifies four primary personality types:

• D (Dominance): Assertive, direct, and decisive
• I (Influence): Communicative, optimistic, and enthusiastic
• S (Steadiness): Supportive, dependable, and harmony-seeking
• C (Conscientiousness): Analytical, detail-oriented, and quality-driven

These base types often appear in combination, resulting in hybrid styles.
For example, a CS profile shows both high conscientiousness and steadiness – highly reliable, but often slow to adapt to change.

The Psychology Behind Resistance to Change
From an evolutionary standpoint, humans are wired to seek safety and stability.
Change often represents uncertainty, which our brain perceives as a potential threat.
This leads to cognitive dissonance – the mental discomfort that arises when new information conflicts with existing beliefs.

Typical factors that reinforce resistance to change:

• Fear of loss: People worry about losing control, influence, or status.
• Habits and routines: Familiar patterns feel safe, and change requires extra cognitive effort.
• Cognitive bias: Once opinions or strategies are formed, individuals tend to ignore new information that contradicts their views.
• Lack of trust in change: When past restructuring efforts failed or communication is unclear, skepticism grows.

DISC Profiles and Their Approach to Change

Based on data from over 500,000 DISC assessments, profile distribution is as follows:

• Pure types (D, I, S, C): These make up only a small fraction – about 14% of people fall into one dominant category.
• Mixed profiles: The majority (86%) are blends like IS, CS, or SC, each showing different responses to change.

Key Insights:

• D-dominant types (10%) see change as a competitive opportunity but are relatively rare.
• I-dominant types (38%) are open to innovation but can lose interest if structure is lacking.
• S-dominant types (27%) prefer routine and need clarity and time to adjust.
• C-dominant types (24%) are skeptical and need solid data before embracing change.

Practical Insights for Navigating Change:

Based on DISC distribution, here’s what organizations should consider when managing change:

1. Account for different adaptation speeds:

• CS types (17%) adapt the slowest and require more time and guidance.
• D and ID types (9%) adapt quickly but don’t always champion change for others.
• 64% of all profiles contain an S – indicating a widespread preference for stability and aversion to risk.

2. Tailor communication and persuasion to personality types:

• C and CS types (19%) need facts, logic, and data-driven arguments to be convinced.
• I and IS types (25%) respond better to emotion, vision, and inspiring messages.

3. Support change through targeted leadership and guidance:

• SC and CS profiles benefit from consistent support and trusted points of contact.
• D profiles can be deployed as change agents – they view change as an opportunity.

Guiding Change Through an Understanding of Personality Structure

How people approach change is closely tied to their personality profile.
The high number of CS and SC types explains why many employees lean toward stability.
At the same time, the small percentage of D types reveals why transformational initiatives often struggle to gain momentum.

For change to succeed, companies must move away from one-size-fits-all strategies.
Instead, they should focus on adapting their approach to the personality structures within their teams.

Our approach is built on data-driven insights into individual behavior.
By using targeted DISC analysis, organizations can understand resistance more effectively – and lead change that is both more efficient and more sustainable.

Would you like to know how your teams respond to change and develop tailored strategies? Contact us for a personalized analysis!