Each person shows different emotions and behaviour during change.  It’s perfectly normal to experience a real mix of emotions.  Not everyone feels all of these feelings intensely and people don’t go through them by numbers.

THE STAGES OF CHANGE

Change transition can be divided into a series of stages.

• Initial equilibrium stage
• Separation stage
• Crisis Stage
• Rebirth Stage
• New Equilibrium stage

Initial equilibrium stage –

This is the starting point.  It’s a period of relative stability; everyone knows what’s expected and has a clear picture of the future of the organisation and themselves.

Separation stage –

This is the stage where people react as if nothing has changed.  They haven’t yet come to grips with the changes and continue trying to solve problems like they did in the past. Sometimes they will try to do the same that they did before but better and or just work harder.

Common things you will hear people saying at this time are “Why does nothing go right any more”, “What’s happening to us”  “We’re working our butts off but nothing is working”.

The sorts of behaviours you see at this stage are increased stress, incomprehension, inhibition or hyper-activity. It’s common to see a drop in staff motivation, a rise in absenteeism, lack of involvement in work, feelings of despair, less laughing and joking, loss of teamwork or socialising, decreasing identification with the organisation and its values. Quiet or explicit job hunting starts at this stage.

Crisis/confusion stage -

 This is often arrived at suddenly with no possibility of turning back.  It’s the “last straw” that triggers something off.  Suddenly people realise that the world’s changed. 

The sort of behaviours you see are doubt, questions, anxiety, anger, shock, confusion, resignation, uncertainty, insecurity, intense stress, a deep feeling of loneliness, a feeling of being abandoned, or being left to their own devices.   

People often think that they’re not normal, that there’s something wrong with them and that they’re incompetent.  People know that they have to act or react but find it impossible to do so, as they no longer know where to focus their energy.

They can become blaming and angry.  People can feel “in limbo” or make unusual outbursts of frustration and anxiety.

The crisis phase doesn’t last long and generally continues to acceptance of the situation and the release of creative energy.  When this happens, the person then sees the crisis as an incredible opportunity to change things. You may see a large scale “tidying up” of the way they act and organise themselves. 

A feeling of new freedom may appear.  Confidence comes back and the person begins to realise that they can once again act on their environment.  They move from apathy to hope or even enthusiasm.

Rebirth Stage –

“A light appears at the end of the tunnel” is a common saying.  Whatever the words used the person has the feeling that they’re “getting out of it”.  They’re aware that not everything that they attempt will work, but they’re convinced that they’ll be able to find ways of getting a grip on what’s happening. People in the rebirth stage are often impatient for progress and are hopeful about building new trust, relationships and achievement.

Rebirth is a fragile phase, in which doubts sometimes persist and recur.  This is especially true during group transitions – as people in groups tend to be at different stages.  People in a group who are still in the crisis or separation phases tend to see those in the rebirth phase as behaving erratically, as though they’re making the impact of change worse. 

New equilibrium –

This is where the person’s comfortable in their new environment.  It‘s common to find people joking about their experience of change or even making fun of their behaviour during the change.

ANOTHER MODEL IS THE STAGES OF GRIEF CYCLE.

• Denial or disbelief – denial that loss has taken place (i.e.: it will be over soon, apathy, numbness/ fear, not showing up for meetings, overly busy with routine tasks, less socialising, procrastination).
• Anger (i.e.: being irritable, contemplating sabotage, being confrontative, appearing “short fused”).
• Bargaining – unrealistic attempts to get out of the situation or to make it go away, making big promises or trying to strike a special deal
• Anxiety – silent or expressed fear of the unknown and probably difficult future or catastrophic fantasies
• Sadness – everything from silence to tears
• Disorientation – confusion and forgetfulness, feelings of being lost and insecure
• Depression – feeling of being down, flat, feelings of hopelessness and being tired (e.g.: being un-talkative, seeming apathetic, missing work, appearing listless, looking sombre)
• Acceptance – changes are accepted and people move forward to new possibilities.

9 TIPS FOR MANAGING CHANGE

1. Determine exactly what’s going to be different for you as a result of the change. Work out what you are likely to gain and lose in the process.  Actively seek out information about your losses and figure out what’s over and what isn’t.
2. Acknowledge that it’s Ok to ask “What about me”.  Approach your supervisor regarding concerns.
3. Recognise your feelings as being normal symptoms during the change process and not something personally wrong with you. Accept the need to go through a period of mourning and let yourself go through that process.
4. Give yourself quiet time and space to de-stress and think. Take time to step back and take stock of who you are and where you want to be in life.
5. Create literal and symbolic boundaries between the past and present.
6. Set short-range objectives for yourself to help restore feelings of achievement and movement.
7. Recognise the impact that colleague’s reactions are having on you.
8. Deliberately balance work and family issues.
9. Seek confidential advice from Human Resources or the Employee Assistance Service when required and not when too late.

Ingrid Cliff is a Brisbane based Business Development and Human Resources Consultant to Small and Medium Businesses with her company Heart Harmony www.heartharmony.com.au.