Resistance to Change in 5S: Why You Should Focus on the Middle
Every leader who has tried to implement 5S knows the same challenge: resistance to change. Some employees pick it up right away, others quietly wait to see what happens, and a few fight it at every step.
The common mistake is to spend energy on the loudest critics. Leaders think that if they can win them over, everyone else will follow. The reality is the opposite. The fastest way to build a 5S culture is to focus on the majority in the middle and let results do the talking.
The Change Curve in Organizations
Research into how people adopt new ideas goes back decades. The best-known model is Everett Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations. He divided groups into:
Innovators (about 2.5%)
Early adopters (about 13.5%)
Early majority (34%)
Late majority (34%)
Laggards (16%)
If we group them more simply for the workplace, it looks like this:
Optimists (15–20%): these are your early adopters. They try new methods, often enthusiastically.
The reasonable middle (60–70%): they are not against change, but they want to see proof and structure.
Pessimists (10–15%): they resist change, stick to the old way, and can be vocal about it.
This pattern holds in almost every organization, whether in production, maintenance, logistics, or office work.
Why You Should Not Chase the Pessimists
The resisting group is often the loudest. They complain in meetings, question every decision, and make leaders feel like the change is failing. But in reality, they are a minority.
The mistake leaders make is putting their energy here. If persuasion alone could change their mind, they would already be in the middle group. By focusing on them, leaders delay progress with the 70% who are ready to move if given the right support.
It is not about ignoring the pessimists. It is about not making them the focus. The best way to deal with them is to build momentum around them.
The Power of the Middle
The majority of employees are not naturally for or against 5S. They are practical. They want to know if it works, if it makes their job easier, and if management is serious about it.
When leaders focus on this group, adoption grows fast. Once the middle is on board, the workplace has a new normal. Standards are followed, routines are established, and the results are visible.
At that point the pessimists face a choice: adapt or stand out. Most eventually adapt, not because they are persuaded, but because the workplace around them has moved on.
You can think of adoption like this:
Adoption Coverage (%) = % Optimists + % Middle
If you engage your 20% optimists and your 70% middle, you already cover 90% of the organization. The remaining 10% have no power to stop the system.
What Leaders Should Actually Do
Winning over the middle is not about motivational speeches or posters. It is about creating an environment where the new way of working is clear, practical, and backed by management. Employees in this group look at two things: whether leadership is serious, and whether the system makes their work easier.
That means leaders have to provide structure. Standards need to be visible and enforced. Results need to be tracked and shared so people see the impact. Quick wins, like faster setups or fewer interruptions, build credibility.
Consistency is the other piece. The middle watches management closely. If leaders lose interest, the employees will too. But when managers keep showing up, asking the right questions, and following through, the middle recognizes that 5S is not a campaign but a permanent change.
As the majority adopts the system, the pessimists run out of room. They can hold on to the old way, but the workplace around them has already moved forward.
Leadership Mindset for Adoption
Strong leadership means accepting that not everyone will be convinced on day one. Success is not measured by silencing every critic. Success is when the majority follow the new standard and it becomes part of daily work.
This requires patience. It also requires discipline. Leaders have to show that 5S is not a one-off campaign, but a permanent way of working. That means following up, checking standards, and holding people accountable.
Once the optimists and the middle are committed, the workplace culture shifts. At that point the pessimists no longer set the tone. The system does.
Conclusion
Resistance to change is not a sign of failure. It is part of the process. In every workplace you will find a small group that pushes back. The mistake is to focus on them.
The fastest way to build a 5S culture is to work with the 80–90% of employees who are either eager or open to change. Once they are on board, the minority of pessimists lose influence and eventually adapt.
At 5S Now we help companies design their 5S rollout with this reality in mind. By focusing leadership energy where it matters most, adoption spreads faster, resistance shrinks, and improvements last.
If you want to see how this works in practice, schedule a free site visit with us. We will show you how to turn cautious employees into committed ones and how to build momentum that even the pessimists cannot ignore.
