A problem commonly faced by companies when pursuing innovation is resistance, be it from customers or from internal stakeholders. The first instinct is to think there’s something wrong with the product, the project or the initiative — but the truth is, it has nothing to do with it.
In truth, the so-called frictions are the main blockers and these can be understood by the anxiety that changes can cause and the natural inertia people have when confronted with new ideas, amongst other factors. This is what the Friction Theory is all about, and which David Schonthal touches upon in his book The Human Element: Overcoming the Resistance that Awaits New Ideas.
At a post-NRF 2022 talk, Mariano Gomide de Faria, co-CEO of VTEX, and David Schonthal, Entrepreneurship Professor at the Kellogg School of Management and best-selling author, discussed consumer behavior, resistance to innovation and what companies can do to overcome resistance.
Watch the discussion in English below.
