Can our experiences of workplace change be like those of grieving?
May 2021
Changes in the workplace can have a profound on individuals, prompting them to experience a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
It might be to do with changes resulting from the pandemic and the need to adapt our work practices or it might result from existing plans to restructure the business.
Some change management experts liken what we experience to a grieving process. In fact, many theorists take their cue from the Kübler-Ross model which depicts the five stages of grief along a curve.
The late Swiss-American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross published these stages in 1969 in her internationally best-selling book called On Death and Dying.
Time magazine hailed her as one of the 20th century’s most important thinkers.
PATTERN OF ADJUSTMENT
Kübler-Ross said that when we face imminent death or bereavement, generally, our pattern of adjustment involves denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These are coping or defence mechanisms.
Although the curve appears to be linear, emotionally, we tend to be random in how we move to and from these stages. How long we spend at each stage depends on the individual. Some people remain stuck at a particular stage for some time.
Although the model is known for helping individuals to deal with death, organisations have adapted it to understand how to manage change in the workplace.
Brands and organisations want to remain competitive and relevant. Organisations continually look for ways to secure maximum efficiency and lower their costs so change is inevitable. Change might be incremental or it might involve wholesale transformation to ways of operating.
As a result, processes, procedures and systems are reconfigured, overhauled or replaced. Sometimes there’s a shift in strategic focus and a review of products and services. Roles can change or be lost.
FAR-REACHING
What’s remarkable about the change brought about by the pandemic is how far-reaching it has been in such a short space of time.
So, how can we manage change as individuals? Well, let’s use the Kubler Ross model. Let’s imagine that an organisation has announced it will operate differently with a profound impact on employees.
Taking the employee viewpoint, here’s how the five stages might work: As mentioned earlier, it isn’t always a linear process.
Stage 1: Denial
Our defence mechanisms kick in as we attempt to process what’s happening. We might refuse to accept it. We make statements like: 'This isn't happening to me.'
Whether we believe it’s happening or not, it’s still likely to affect our performance and our ability to think clearly. It’s common for some people to remain stuck at this stage for some time. They’re fixed on how things currently are or how they used to be.
Stage 2: Anger
Here, we become more aware of the reality of what’s happening and the possible consequences. We say things like: 'This shouldn’t be happening to me.'
We might feel bad tempered, irritable or frustrated and angry with ourselves or others. We might even look for someone to blame.
Stage 3: Bargaining
The anger is dissipating but we look for ways to defer the inevitable. We might attempt to negotiate and ask for more time or reach a compromise that is less traumatic.
Stage 4: Depression
Other feelings emerge such as fear and regret and we might find it difficult to see beyond only disappointment. We might become withdrawn and show limited excitement about anything. We might tell ourselves: 'What’s the use of trying?'
Stage 5: Acceptance
By this point, we’ve acknowledged that fighting the change is futile. The grief is still there. We’re hurting but we tell ourselves: 'We can come through this.' Although our energy levels might still be affected, we begin to explore new opportunities arising as a result of what is happening. We being preparing a strategy.
So, given what we know about change in the workplace, how we do to equip ourselves to deal with it? What resilience strategy can we adopt? Having seen people in many different sectors go through it, my top tips are as follows:
1. Recognise that we’re on a change curve
A range of emotions accompanies this curve. It’s natural to experience these emotions. How we manage our emotions is what counts.
2. Accept that life isn’t always fair
Focus on what we can control and not what we can’t control.
3. Maintain personal routines
It's important to keep routines such as exercise, socialising and relaxation because they're key to providing some stability. We should particularly maintain routines that are good for our physical and mental wellbeing.
4. Be careful how we vent any frustration.
Workplace change is about business; it isn’t personal. If we need to get our frustrations out, best to do so in a safe environment that won’t have a negative impact on others or ourselves. In fact, it might be a good idea to refrain from social media for a while to guard against writing some damaging post in a moment of unclear thought.
5. What are the positives?
Ask ourselves if any positives will emerge from this change. We might be able to draw upon any previous experiences of change. What did we learn about ourselves last time this happened? And did it turn out as badly as we’d imagined?
6. Be proactive
Taking action shows that it's our intention to shape the outcome rather than it being shaped for us.
7. Tap into our support network
Share how we're feeling with someone else but it's important for us to move ourselves during the conversations to a point where we're identifying solutions.
8. We are brands
Just like organisations, individuals project a brand whether we want to or not. How we respond to change will affect the value of our brand and our marketability for future opportunities.
It was the Greek philosopher Socrates who said that the secret of managing change is to focus all of your energy on building the new rather than fighting the old. And that means building a new you.