In typical 37signals fashion, the wisdom in these pages is edgy yet

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.
*
Reyna Susi, "The Exxon Crisis, 1989," Effective Crisis Management,
iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall02/Susi/exxon.htm
+
John Holusha, "Exxon's Public-Relations Problem," New York Times,
Apr. 21, 1989, 
www.tinyurl.com/yg2bgff

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*
Scott Kirsner, "Craigslist's Unorthodox Path," Boston Globe, June 15,
2008, 
www.tinyurl.com/4vkg58

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