Insights and inspiration for project professionals

In this new episode of PM Untold, we sit down with Jan Van Der Vurst, organisational psychologist, leadership consultant, and author, to explore one of the most challenging realities of project management: territorial behaviour and resistance to change.

Drawing on decades of research, consulting experience across five continents, and insights from behavioural economics and psychology, Jan challenges a common misconception. Resistance is not the enemy. It is the default.

Together, we unpack why resistance, territorial behaviour, and lack of trust emerge so naturally in projects, particularly when autonomy, identity, or expertise feels threatened. Rather than fighting resistance, this conversation reframes it as a signal that can be understood, anticipated, and constructively addressed.

In this episode, we explore

• Why resistance should be anticipated, not fought
• The three core sources of resistance: “I don’t understand,” “I don’t trust it,” and “I don’t trust you”
• How emotional reactions block rational arguments and what to do instead
• Practical techniques to turn resistance into ownership and cooperation
• Why territorial behaviour is instinctual, especially in expert driven environments
• A real life example of how vulnerability and reflection transformed conflict into collaboration

This episode is a must listen for project managers, change leaders, and PMOs who want to move beyond arm wrestling with stakeholders and learn how to build trust, alliances, and sustainable change.

Listen now at pmi-belgium.be/podcast