What Are Change Management Issues and How to Overcome Them at Work

Change within companies is hard, especially when things have been done a certain way for a long time. Yet with technology shifting quickly, modern organizations need to be agile and willing to adapt.

If you’ve ever wondered what change management issues are, think of them as the people- and process-level obstacles that show up when you try to adopt new systems, tools, or ways of working. These change management issues in organizations look like resistance, misalignment, slow decisions, or stalled rollouts — even when the business case is strong.

In this article we discuss some practical change management issues examples. Let’s explore what causes these issues, see real examples, and learn how to overcome them effectively.

Why change management issues arise in modern organizations

Modern change rarely affects just one team. When you introduce a new device program, roll out smart lockers, or implement new software, you often touch multiple departments, sites, and user groups at once.

Today’s B2B purchases are typically made by groups of diverse stakeholders. According to Gartner, a typical B2B buying group includes six to eight decision-makers, and increased stakeholder diversity can lead to group dysfunction as members’ goals and interests conflict.

In this context, you might be trying to convince stakeholders with little interest in technology to switch to a mobile device program or implement a secure storage system for those devices. At the same time,CEB notes that half of willing buyers are unwilling to advocate for desired purchases, because larger teams increase the perceived risk of speaking up.

All of this feeds into core issues with change management:

• Cross-functional complexity and misaligned priorities. IT, operations, finance, and frontline teams may all value different outcomes — cost control, security, productivity, or user experience — so trade-offs aren’t always obvious.

• Fast-paced tech adoption. Many organizations are rolling out cloud platforms, smart lockers, and new mobile device programs at the same time, which can create change saturation and confusion.

• High stakes for sponsors and advocates. Internal champions worry about being blamed if a change doesn’t work, so they may hesitate to fully back a decision publicly.

Put together, these dynamics create structural change management issues and challenges, not just one-off project problems.

Further reading: Device lifecycle management as part of your change management strategy.

Common change management issues 

Here are three key change management issues examples that modern organizations face today.

1. Lack of process knowledge

One of the most common change management issues is limited process knowledge — teams may not fully understand the “why” behind the change. You may lack experience driving change as well as enough knowledge about the product itself to convince someone to buy in.

In practice, that sounds like:

• “We struggle with mobile device deployment challenges daily, but we can’t articulate where the time goes or what causes the biggest issues.”

• “Leadership wants to reduce lost devices, but no one is tracking how they disappear today.”

To work with this, research the benefits driving your position and use simple reflection questions:

• How will this affect your team?

• Who will be impacted by this change other than your team, in both positive and negative ways?

• Have other companies had a similar change, and how did it turn out for them?

• What is the potential ROI of this change?

For example, 91% of current LocknCharge customers prioritize charging in their mobile device initiatives — because uncharged or unavailable devices directly disrupt teaching and work.

When you can quantify today’s pain and tomorrow’s upside, you’re tackling a specific change management issue, not just “selling a new tool.”

2. Cross-functional misalignment

Another key change management issue is cross-functional misalignment. You may not understand how your idea could influence teams other than your own — or those teams may not yet see how the change supports their goals.

A potential solution for this would be relatively easy:

• Talk to cross-functional team members to find out how the new technology could affect their teams.

• Explore the company blog or internal research to find evidence that supports multiple teams’ needs.

You should also consider creating a trickle-down benefits map — a simple illustration that shows how each team benefits from the change. For instance, a mobile device rollout supported by secure storage or smart lockers can:

• Help teachers or frontline staff access ready-to-use devices.

• Give IT better visibility and control over devices.

• Provide leadership with clearer ROI through reduced loss and downtime.

This misalignment is one of the key issues in change management, especially in large or distributed organizations.

3. Low stakeholder buy-in and advocacy

Stakeholder resistance is another common challenge in change management. You might be risk-averse and need confidence in your ability to persuade others, or you may not know who will support your idea.

Here’s how you can easily overcome this:

• Figure out who is most likely to be least receptive to change and predict which objections they will raise.

• Prepare answers for those objections in advance.

• Identify which stakeholders will be your most powerful advocates and get them on board to help make your case.

This reflects a broader change management issue in organizations: many willing buyers are reluctant to advocate for a decision if they worry about being blamed if it goes wrong.

LocknCharge customers often use peer examples — such as districts that improved 1:1 device management in schools or organizations that mastered workplace change management — to build confidence with hesitant stakeholders.

Change management issues when implementing a new system

Adopting a new system — whether a smart locker platform, mobile device program, or enterprise application — often surfaces specific change management issues when implementing a new system.

Typical failure modes include:

• Thin communication. Teams hear about the change late, in generic terms, with little clarity on impact or timelines.

• Unclear ROI narrative. Sponsors talk about “modernization” without connecting the system to tangible metrics like device uptime, ticket volume, or student learning time.

• Limited training and support. Users get a launch webinar and a PDF, then are left to figure out new workflows on their own.

Even a well-selected solution can look like the wrong choice if people don’t understand how it will help them day to day. The good news is that these challenges can be managed with clear communication, a realistic rollout plan, and supportive technology that makes the new way of working easier than the old one.

Common issues in managing change

Modern organizations face a wave of overlapping transformations: hybrid work models, AI adoption, new security expectations, and ongoing pressure to do more with less. These realities create contemporary issues in managing change that didn’t exist — at this scale — even a decade ago.

Common patterns include:

• Hybrid and distributed teams. People experience the same change differently depending on region, role, and work pattern. You can’t rely on hallway conversations or in-person town halls to carry the message.

• AI and automation anxiety. Employees may worry that new tools will delineate their roles or increase surveillance. Without transparent communication, “AI” can feel like a threat rather than an opportunity.

• Data overload and fragmented tools. Leaders are surrounded by dashboards but still lack a coherent picture of how changes are landing across the organization.

• Change fatigue. Multiple concurrent initiatives with limited support structures can lead to change saturation, where even small adjustments feel overwhelming.

In this environment, organizations face both technical and cultural resistance to change. That’s why focusing on human impact, not just system features, is critical to overcoming change management issues and challenges.

Further reading: Change management in higher education.

How to overcome common change management issues

Here’s a simple framework you can follow to successfully manage change in your organization.

1. Communicate the why and show ROI
   Draw from the process knowledge guidance. Start with a plain description of the problem, who it affects, and the cost of doing nothing. Then connect your solution — whether it’s smart lockers, new MDM tools, or updated policies — to measurable outcomes, such as:

   • Device uptime and reduced downtime.

   • Fewer lost or uncharged devices.

   • Lower ticket volumes or support calls.

2. Show real-life proofs that it works
   Use concrete examples and testimonials from similar organizations to show that the change is both realistic and worthwhile.

3. Build cross-functional alignment
   Repurpose the cross-functional perspective insights. Talk to IT, operations, facilities, finance, and frontline leaders early. Map how the change supports their goals and what they may need to adjust.

   • Create a trickle-down benefits map to visualize how each team benefits.

   • Make trade-offs explicit instead of assuming alignment.

4. Identify and empower advocates
   Use the persuasion skills content to guide your approach. Look for respected colleagues who:

   • Feel today’s pain directly (for example, device downtime or manual checkouts).

   • Are comfortable influencing others across teams.

   • Have personal needs that will be met by the technology’s features.

5. Support change advocates with the right tools
   Give them early access, clear talking points, and support from leadership so they feel confident advocating for the change.

6. Track progress and celebrate wins
   Many key change management issues come from a lack of visible progress. People lose confidence when they can’t see whether the change is working. To mitigate this:

   • Set short feedback loops: adoption metrics, ticket trends, or device downtime.

   • Share quick wins (for example, fewer “dead device” incidents or faster device swaps).

   • Adjust based on feedback and tell people what changed as a result.

For instance, organizations introducing shared device programs or smart charging solutions can reduce resistance by demonstrating measurable improvements in efficiency and accountability.

How LocknCharge supports change management

Change management isn’t just about people — it’s also about enabling new processes with the right tools. LocknCharge solutions help organizations simplify technology adoption by making device rollouts and shared tech programs easier to manage day to day.

Whether you’re implementing mobile devices or introducing smart lockers such as FUYL Smart Lockers, LocknCharge helps reduce manual handoffs, increase accountability, and keep devices ready to use. That support makes it easier for internal advocates to show tangible benefits and overcome key change management issues.

You can also explore related topics like device lifecycle management, change management in education, change management in higher education, and mobile device management and security to build a broader strategy.

Final thoughts

No organization is immune to change management issues. They’re a normal side effect of asking people to work differently while under pressure. The difference between stalled projects and successful transformation lies in how deliberately you address the human, operational, and technological sides of change.

By clarifying the “why,” aligning stakeholders, empowering advocates, and using tools that remove friction, you can turn key issues in change management into opportunities for better ways of working — whether you’re improving change management in education, modernizing workplace tech, or expanding device programs at scale.

If you’re planning to introduce new technology or improve device management, LocknCharge can help your team