Facing resistance at work sucks.

Maybe your boss dismisses your ideas before you’ve had the chance to explain them. Or a senior leader resists your proposal, despite clear evidence it's a winning approach. Or you keep running into “that won’t work here” rebuttals without any real discussion.

When this happens, it's easy to question yourself, fear conflict, or pull back altogether.

Overcoming resistance isn’t about overpowering the other person. It’s about shifting their perspective, finding alignment, and earning their support.

It’s also a skill that separates those who struggle to get buy-in from those who consistently move their ideas forward, especially with the support of their leadership team.

Here's how to turn resistance into winning buy-in.

3 ways to turn resistance into winning support

1. Reframe objections as opportunities

Resistance does not mean rejection. It’s often an opportunity to refine your message. When someone resists an idea, they’re signalling a concern that, if addressed properly, could turn them into your advocate.

Here's a few easy, action steps to reframe objections:

→ Stay curious: Instead of reacting to pushback, ask open-ended questions like, “Can you share what concerns you most about this approach?” or “What would need to change for this to work for you?”. This approach shows empathy and demonstrates your effort to understand their viewpoint better.

→ Acknowledge their perspective: People are more open to listening when they feel heard. Follow up with statements like, “I see where you’re coming from. If I were in your position, I might have the same concern.”

→ Turn the concern into a conversation: Instead of dismissing their concern or hesitation with statements like, “That’s not an issue", use statements like, “That’s a fair point. Let’s explore how we can adjust this to make it work.” You may also need to provide additional context as to why your approach or recommendation is viable despite their concern (i.e. bring new data points to gain their full support).

Now, let's role play a situation together.​
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Let's say your manager resists your recommendation saying, “I don’t think we have the resources for this.”
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❌ Wrong response: “We just have to find a way.”
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✅ Better response: “I appreciate you sharing that and have closely reviewed the resource allocation for this already. Which resources do you feel are the biggest constraint here? If I'm able to propose a solution for that, would I have your full support on this initiative?"

[Check out my free LinkedIn Learning nano-course Nano Tips for Handling Difficult Work Situations]

2. Align your message with what matters to them

People support ideas that serve their interests. If you can connect your proposal to their goals, you make it easier for them to say yes. Follow these 3 steps.

→ Identify their top priorities: What are they measured on? What pressures are they facing? What hot topics are most top of mind for them right now? Tailor your arguments to show how your idea helps them win. This is how you build collaborative objectives where there's a clear benefit for both sides.

→ Use “because” statements: People are more likely to agree when you justify your request instead of simply stating it. So instead of, “We should implement this strategy”, adjust it to something like,“We should implement this because it will save us 4 hours per week and improve team efficiency.” See the difference?

→ Tie your idea to shared goals: Instead of “I think we should test this approach”, use statements like, “Since our common goal is to improve customer retention, this approach could help us achieve that.”

Let's role play another situation together.
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This time, you propose a new process, but your leadership team resists with, “We don’t have time to change this now.”
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Your response could be, “I completely understand the timing concern. In fact, this was a primary criteria I used in coming to this recommendation. Since efficiency is a key priority, I’d love to explore how this approach will actually save us time in the long run.”

[Check out my newsletter on How to communicate through conflict]

3. Use strategic persistence

One “no” isn’t always final. Many ideas face initial resistance before gaining traction, especially if this is being discussed with your senior leaders. Remember, it's their job to challenge back and ensure you're making the most informed decisions together. The key is to persist thoughtfully without being pushy.
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→ Space out your follow-ups: Don’t repeat the same argument immediately. Let time and context shift the conversation.

→ Bring new information: Revisit the discussion with data, examples, or fresh insights that reinforce your business case. This is also a good opportunity to show you practiced active listening by addressing the right concerns.

→ Involve key allies: If others support your idea, leverage their perspectives to strengthen your argument. This is particularly helpful if your recommendations require involvement from other departments.

For example, if you pitched a new initiative and leadership wasn’t convinced of it, you can:
✅ Gather success stories from other teams who implemented similar initiatives.
✅ Highlight a new challenge that makes your idea more relevant now.
✅ Find an executive sponsor who shares your perspective.

Then, when you bring it up again, you can frame it as follows:
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​"I know we discussed this in our last meeting. Since then, we’ve seen our operations department implement this successfully with our B2B marketing teams. Given our current challenges, I believe this would be worth revisiting again."

This is the strategy we used with a recent client who overcame resistance at work with confidence, even while facing pushback in the moment. She held her ground and netted out with a win-win outcome.

You've got this!