Why can’t people just get with the program? They question, they challenge, they complain… and it’s all perfectly predictable and normal. Transition is the emotional process people go through when adapting to a change in their world. It doesn’t matter if the change is positive, like having a new baby or getting promoted. People still have to let go of some parts of their life (perhaps the luxury of sleeping late!) and learn new things (how to change a diaper while half asleep). The process is predictable, according to the work seminal done by organizational thinker and consultant William Bridges. Leaders who understand what people typically experience during change can put measures into place to help accelerate the transition process. Download Transition – The Human Side of Change infographic at http://partneringresources.com/new-infographic-transition-the-human-side-of-change/.

1. THE TRIED & TRUE SERIES: TRUSTED MODELS THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME
Change is an event: a restructuring, layoff, or new assignment. Transition, according to William Bridges, is the process people go through in order to adapt to the change.
TRANSITION: THE HUMAN SIDE OF CHANGE
Adapted from Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, by William Bridges; other sources by William Bridges & Chris Edgelow; and from Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.
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THE HUMAN SIDE
OF CHANGE
HOW TO HELP
TIME
MORALE
&
PRODUCTIVITY
SAY GOODBYE
THE ENDING
LIMBO BETWEEN OLD
AND NEW
People need an ending before
they can have a new begin-
ning. They let go of some-
thing:
• Ways of accomplishing tasks
that made them successful in the
past
• Goals and priorities they
previously worked to achieve
• Assumptions about their job,
team, or organization
• Expectations about what it
means to be successful
The neutral zone is the state
of limbo between old and new
realities.
Coping with feelings of uncer-
tainty and confusion can take
considerable energy. Yet success-
ful transition requires people to
spend some time doing this. It’s
at this stage that transformation
takes place. New ideas and possi-
bilities begin to emerge.
• Create a clear implemen-
tation plan.
• Clarify exactly what people
will be required to do and
how they will be evaluated.
• Provide opportunities to
learn new skills in a low-risk
environment.
• Ask people to help define
new roles and practices.
• Work together to identify
and remove barriers to
performance.
Now people start behaving in
new ways. They find the
positives in the new state
and discover how change can
benefit them.
• Communicate reasons for
change clearly and concisely.
• Use multiple channels for
communication, not just
email.
• Clarify what will change and
what will stay the same.
• Establish a distinct end
point.
• Create temporary procedures and
policies that bridge the old and the new.
Forexample,during team relocation,daily
10-minute calls can help people stay in
touch and on track with work.
• Establish temporary lines of authority
and responsibility that help people
remain functional during change. For
example, a department may decide that
all expenditures under a certain amount
may be authorized by any manager.
• Engage in practices that encourage
cohesion. Frequently, groups undergoing
change start to fragment, as individuals
pay more attention to personal needs
than group goals. Leaders can help
groups stay connected and productive by
creating ways for teams to stay
connected and updated.
• Share more information than usual.
Communicate early and often about
relevant organizational changes.
PHASE
1
PHASE
2
PHASE
3
NAVIGATE THE
NEUTRAL ZONE
START ANEW
THE NEW BEGINNING