Take a deep breath

When you rock the boat, there will be waves. After you introduce a new feature,

change a policy, or remove something, knee-jerk reactions will pour in. Resist

the urge to panic or make rapid changes in response. Passions flare in the

beginning. That's normal. But if you ride out that first rocky week, things usually

settle down.

People are creatures of habit. That's why they react to change in such a

negative way. They're used to using something in a certain way and any change

upsets the natural order of things. So they push back. They complain. They

demand that you revert to the way things were.

But that doesn't mean you should act. Sometimes you need to go ahead with a

decision you believe in, even if it's unpopular at first.

People often respond before they give a change a fair chance. Sometimes that

initial negative reaction is more of a primal response. That's why you'll

sometimes hear things like, "It's the worst thing I've ever seen." No, it's not. It's a

minor change. Come on.

Also, remember that negative reactions are almost always louder and more

passionate than positive ones. In fact, you may hear only negative voices even

when the majority of your customers are happy about a change. Make sure you

don't foolishly backpedal on a necessary but controversial decision.

So when people complain, let things simmer for a while. Let them know

you're listening. Show them you're aware of what they're saying. Let them know

you understand their discontent. But explain that you're going to let it go for a

while and see what happens. You'll probably find that people will adjust

eventually. They may even wind up liking the change more than the old way,

once they get used to it.