Managing Pushback: Handling Pilot Team Resistance During Product Operating Model Rollout

Teresa Torres and Hope Gurion, both coaches, examine how resistance surfaces on pilot teams during a product operating model rollout, even among volunteers. They identify three common objections: "we don't have time," "I don't want to be a beginner again," and "that will never work here." Their central argument is that each surface objection masks a deeper root cause, such as unknowns, fear of incompetence, or attachment to existing methods, so leaders should dig beneath it. They also recommend rituals like shared demos and peer learning from successful pilot teams to build momentum and make the change visible and credible.

01Key takeaways

• Treat "we don't have time" as a placeholder and ask what the team really means before responding.
• Expect learners to feel like beginners and give pilot teams room to make mistakes without public blame.
• Normalize difficulty by reminding teams that learning new skills is supposed to be hard.
• Have pilot teams try a new practice before dismissing it, then decide which tool fits which situation.
• Run regular demos where pilot teams share progress, blockers, and learnings with functional leaders.
• Let successful pilot teams share how they made time and succeeded so others see the change works in their context.

02Key sections

"We don't have time"

Teams often say they lack time when they are stuck in delivery mode or overloaded with status and stakeholder updates. The objection frequently hides a different concern, so leaders should probe what the team actually means.

"I don't want to be a beginner again"

Learning a new way of working threatens people's sense of expertise and confidence. Leaders should expect mistakes, create psychological safety, and normalize that learning is supposed to feel hard.

"That will never work here"

Teams may dismiss new practices because they clash with their past experience, identity, or organizational context. Trying the practice in a small way and comparing it to existing tools helps reveal whether it really fits.

Rituals that surface and address resistance

Regular showcases where pilot teams and functional leaders share learnings, blockers, and work artifacts make resistance visible. Peer-to-peer sharing from early successful teams helps other teams see the change is feasible.

Focus on root causes

The surface expression of resistance is rarely the full story. Leaders who anticipate and address underlying causes are better positioned to support pilot teams.

03From the post

“Trying to undertake a major change like rolling out the product operating model isn’t easy. A lot of companies struggle with this. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. There are teams out there that are successfully making this transformation. And I know that because I’ve seen”

04Frameworks mentioned

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.