Change management processes are complicated “animals”. But they are usually causing similar reactions within all of us. Knowing these reactions helps us to prepare for change and to deal with it once we are a part of it.

Change has been recently everywhere

Every one of us has gone through severe change processes over the recent measures about the pandemic. It was not voluntary. And that’s why it was even more difficult. We could not do anything about it. There was this feeling of helplessness and being exposed to something we cannot control. This change process is very similar to our grieving after a person close to us has passed away.

The Swiss psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross did a lot of research about our grieving. And she came up with the stages we are always going through when we are in grieve. Interestingly the same stages can be used to better understand a change process.

What are our reactions to change

• Shock and Denial: We are still feeling well because we just ignore what is coming.
• Frustration: Our mood goes down because recognise that we cannot ignore the facts.
• Depression: Our mood is at the bottom, and we have no clue what to do.
• Experiment: Our mood is slowly improving because we have started testing ways to cope with the new situation.
• Decision and Integration: Our mood is up and improving because we have decided the way to cope, adapt and integrate the change

Why do we need to know the stages in a change management process?

Knowing about these stages helps us enormously to understand ourselves. We become aware what is going on. And self-awareness is the key for our self-development.

This knowledge is even more crucial when we are in a leadership role because we become aware of what our colleagues are going through. Therefore, we can plan our change management process regarding communication and team activities accordingly.

What to do with our Frustration?

The stages of frustration and depression are most critical for the success of a change management process. They might team members abandon the team inwardly or physically. Here it is our empathy and trust as a leader which become crucial for success.

And this need for empathy is true for leaders of an organisation as well as for us leading ourselves.

So what can we do about our current frustration about:

• We cannot meet our family and friends.
• We are exposed to our family 24/7.
• We are losing income?

Some might tell us to think only about the sunny sides of life. But this would be cheating at ourselves and deep inside we know it.

Acknowledging what is

In fact, the first step is to acknowledge what is. We look at the situation and say, “This is awful!” and “I am desperate now.” Only if we accept where we are right now, we will be able to walk out of this desperation. Just keep in mind the stages of change: We need to allow ourselves to be frustrated and go into depression. Only then, we can start experimenting with strategies to cope with the “awful” situation.

For the leader of a team, it means to communicate and acknowledge how difficult the situation is for everyone. Based on this, a good leader can show trust and support.

6 Steps for Acknowledgement

For our self-leadership, it can only be us who helps acknowledging our own feelings of sadness, helplessness, anger, or sorrow. You can actively do following these steps:

• Sit down in a relaxed position on a chair or on the floor.
• Close your eyes.
• Sense your strongest negative feeling.
• Name your strongest negative feeling.
• Find the place in your body where this feeling is located.
• Take your time and describe its location, its shape, and its size.

From here, it will be easier for you to focus on ways to improve your situation. Get in touch with people you have not met for a long time. Install a tool for online communication on your phone. Rediscover how to write an old-style handwritten letter to a person you have been missing. It is your own creativity and wishes that will appear once you can see your feelings as a part of yourself.

The Role of ConsulToSee in your Change Management Process

Awareness, acknowledging what is and empathy are the crucial qualities that help you to go successfully through a change management process and become stronger than before. With the expertise of ConsulToSee we are the right partner to support you in mastering whatever change challenges are getting into your way.