Guiding your organization through change is easy — transitioning is the real challenge - Chief Learning Officer

Change often carries a negative connotation as people often think the worst. Therefore, when changes are anticipated, many people seem to feel stressed. William Bridges, American organizational consultant and author of “Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change,” reasons that change is not the culprit. The real challenge that people struggle with is the transition process, which is emotionally charged. It is  particularly important for chief learning officers to be aware of this, as they are helping to support employees in their organization through new initiatives.

Change vs. transition

Bridges say change is situational. What does this mean? The simplest way to explain this is to relate it to something most of us have experienced — such as the process of moving from one home to another. According to Bridges, change is living at address A today, and address B tomorrow.

In this example, what many of us incorrectly refer to as change, is actually the transition process. This  encompasses everything that must occur between moving from address A to settling comfortably at  address B. Think about your last move. What were some of the things that you had to do? What emotions  arose? Were you stressed? The following illustration denotes the difference between change and  transition.

Bridges defines transition as “a three-phase process that people go though, as they internalize and  come to terms with the details of the new situation that the change brings about.”

The three phases of the transition process are as follows:  

• Ending, losing, letting go. This involves helping employees to let go of the old ways and the old  identity they had. During this phase, people may exhibit emotions similar to that of someone who  is grieving — shock, denial, guilt, anger, depression and so forth.  
• The neutral zone. This is an in-between time. The old is going away, but the new is not fully  operational. This phase is very chaotic. However, it is a great opportunity to put new systems in  place because people will be more receptive to it as it’s seen as part of the change.
• The new beginning. This marks the coming out of the transition and making a new beginning.  The majority of people have acclimated to their new norm.

Each of the three phases of the transition process requires specific actions by leaders. For instance, in the  ending, losing and letting phase, leaders must create a psychologically safe, non-judgmental space where employees can share how they are feeling as they grieve the loss of the old.

On the other hand, groups or organizations in the neutral zone may experience low morale as employees may be worried about their employment, status or identity. This could inevitably have an impact on productivity. Interventions that may be useful during this phase include clear direction and an explanation of the goals behind the results you are looking for. In addition, it is important to give employees some of the planning so they can contribute to achieving the desired outcome during this phase.

It is also important that CLOs and other leaders responsible for implementing change continuously check and  monitor their own feelings. Thoughts and feelings will impact how one leads people through each phase of the transition process, so it’s always helpful to take self-inventory.

As noted earlier, supporting employees through the transition phases of any change initiative is no easy  feat for all involved because each phase is emotionally charged. However, not acknowledging or ignoring  this will make the process even more difficult and could sabotage the desired outcome you’re seeking.

Faith Saunders is the founder and the Chief Transformation Officer at Discover A New Future. She has more than 20+ years of training experience in the areas of transformational change, professional and leadership development. In addition, her background in Psychiatric Rehabilitation (Master’s degree from Rutgers University) gives her work a unique perspective. To comment, email editor@clomedia.com.

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Guiding your organization through change is easy — transitioning is the real challenge - Chief Learning Officer
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