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Why do people struggle with change so much?
I think change interferes with autonomy and can make people feel they’ve
lost control over their territory. It’s not just political, as in who has the
power. Our sense of self-determination is often the first thing to do when
facing a potential change from someone else. Change is meant to bring
something different, but how different? We are creatures of habit. Routines
become automatic, but change jolts us into consciousness, sometimes in
uncomfortable ways. Too many differences can be distracting or confusing.
Research has proved that humans actually have a predictable pattern of
emotions about change. It's called the Change Curve by Kubler-Ross back in
1969, and it looks like a roller coaster. The change curve unfolds over time
and shows the positive and negative impact of change on productivity and
morale (Andreatta, 2021).
When change is announced, the status quo is disrupted. This can create
feelings of shock and anxiety, and sometimes excitement. People tend to
question the difference or even ignore it and not take it that seriously.
Hallmark phrases here are "I can't believe they're doing this." And "How will
this impact me?"
Then people move into the next stage, which is marked by resistance. They
feel frustration and even anger. People will focus on details, ask picky
questions, and challenge decisions. Comments here are "We don't need this."
Or "It's unfair, and I can't deal with it." This is also where we will see a drop
in productivity and morale.
Next is the bottom of the curve, where things start to turn around. People
may feel initial despair or even depression, but eventually, they let go and
begin to accept that the change is inevitable. We might hear things like,
"This is going to fail" or "I can't do this." This is when people are most
likely to quit.
People are now ready to learn more about the change - they're curious and
open to hearing about it. We may find ourselves repeating much of what
we've been saying all along - but now we've stopped resisting and are
curious. Phrases here include "What's this all about?" and "Huh, this might
work."
Now we have momentum, and we move into the embracing stage. People
have entirely accepted the change and are excited about implementing it.
Productivity and morale are back to prior levels, and we hear things like,
"This is going to work" and "It's going to be a good change."
Finally, we have the aftermath of the change, where people can see the
results of the change. At first, there is excitement about the accomplishment,
and we'll hear things like, "We did it!" And "How did we ever get by before
this?" And then things settle down, and we are back to the status quo.
References
Andreatta, B. (2021). Three reasons why you're struggling with change.
https://www.brittandreatta.com/3-reasons-why-youre-struggling-with-change/
Kübler-Ross Change Curve®. EKR Foundation. (2021)
https://www.ekrfoundation.org/5-stages-of-grief/change-curve/
