{"id":506,"date":"2022-12-08T14:30:21","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T14:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cube-ld.co.uk\/blog\/?p=506"},"modified":"2023-01-31T13:10:12","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T13:10:12","slug":"understanding-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cube-ld.co.uk\/blog\/understanding-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding change"},"content":{"rendered":"

Understanding how we react to change\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cutting costs. Efficiency gains. New technologies. Restructuring. New leadership. Whatever form it might take, change is a given in most organisations as we navigate challenges and grasp opportunities in front of us.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But no matter how well we\u2019ve planned organisational change, understanding and effectively dealing with how people respond is key to effective implementation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, research from McKinsey & Company found <\/span>70% of change programmes fail<\/span><\/a>, pointing out common pitfalls are largely due to \u201cemployee resistance and lack of management support\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here, we explain <\/span>the <\/span>K\u00fcbler-Ross Change Curve<\/span><\/a> we use in our training. This will help you understand the different emotional reactions you and your team might experience in order to effectively deal with and embrace change.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the change curve<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When change happens many people initially see it as loosing something. In fact, t<\/span>he change curve model we use in our training was developed by Elisabeth K\u00fcbler-Ross as a tool to depict the emotional stages people go through when experiencing grief \u2013 <\/span>shock, denial, frustration, depression, experimentation, acceptance and integration. It\u2019s a model many organisations now use to understand people\u2019s reactions to change in a work environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s what you\u2019re likely to observe as a team goes through the change curve, helping you to spot what stage your people are at.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Shock<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People\u2019s initial reaction may be one of surprise or shock. They may feel numb. Some may only take in snippets of information, or even none at all.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Denial<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next stage is one of disbelief; denial anything has happened. Or people may hold the belief it won\u2019t affect them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Frustration<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As people digest information, they start reacting to what\u2019s happening. Anger or negativity can come out. Many struggle to see how the change will result in improvements. You may hear misinformation or people pushing opinion as fact. Some may even think they can stop or delay the change. You can see how this stage could be quite damaging.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Depression<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where the mood goes down. There\u2019s no looking forward to the benefits and opportunities this change might bring.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lack of energy and motivation. People do the bare minimum. There\u2019s no generation of ideas. They cling to old ways of working. You might see people go off sick due to stress.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Be mindful some may perceive the change as not affecting managers and leaders in the same way, creating a \u2018them and us\u2019 scenario.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Experimentation<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People start to move forward, potentially in small steps. There is likely to be questioning about what exactly needs to happen and how it should be done.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The change is still new remember, so people may make mistakes or take two steps forward and one step back. But overall people are processing what this change might look and feel like.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Decision and acceptance<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the stage where people start to move on and are prepared to have a go. They\u2019re more proactive. Energy levels go up. People try new things, learn how to work in new ways, and contribute suggestions and ideas of what could work.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Be aware, for some this might be reluctant acceptance, thinking \u2018I\u2019m going to have to accept this whether I like it or not\u2019.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Integration<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People have healed and adapted to new ways of working.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, be mindful if things are perceived to not quite work out as expected, or more change is added, people may slip back.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Spoiler alert; not everyone moves through change at the same pace<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Within your team, people will progress \u2013 and sometimes regress \u2013 through the change curve at varying paces. This can be influenced by past experiences, what motivates them as individuals, and what\u2019s happening in their personal life – if things are good at home, you may embrace change at work more readily.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some skip stages altogether. Some progress only to slip backwards if they feel overwhelmed. And some might be invested from the start, getting straight into the experimentation stage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People who get stuck in depression can be destructive in the team, doing what they can to prove the change won\u2019t work. It\u2019s worth being very alert to colleagues who seem stuck in this phase.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget if you\u2019ve been involved in developing the change, or been privy to information earlier, <\/span>you\u2019ll have spent weeks if not months getting your head round it. By the time you talk to your team, you will have already been though some of these emotions; your team will be starting from scratch and may feel they\u2019ve been kept in the dark.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Applying the K\u00fcbler-Ross Change Curve<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n