𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲
The Change Curve is a model that describes the typical emotional journey individuals go through when faced with change. While it was initially developed by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969 to describe the stages of grief in terminally ill patients, its principles have been widely applied to understand reactions to change in both personal and organizational contexts.
Understanding 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲 can help managers and leaders anticipate how people might react to change, allowing them to provide appropriate support and interventions to ease transitions.
The stages of the Change Curve are:
𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹: At this initial stage, individuals might be in shock or denial about the change. They might believe the difference is optional or hope it will disappear.
𝟮. 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺: Once the reality of the change starts sinking in, individuals may feel angry or even betrayed. This is especially true if they were not involved in the decision-making process or if the reasons for the change weren't adequately communicated.
𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: This is where people might try to negotiate or find ways to avoid the change. They might seek compromises or make promises to improve if things revert to how they were. At this stage, individuals often feel overwhelmed, helpless, or saddened by the change. They may become disengaged or demotivated.
𝟰. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: People start to come to terms with the change. They might not be fully on board, but they acknowledge its inevitability and begin to adapt.
𝟱. 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: As acceptance grows, individuals explore new ways to work within the changed environment. They begin to see potential opportunities and solutions.
𝟲. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: This is the final stage where people fully embrace the change, committing themselves to the new direction or state of affairs.
The Change Curve provides a roadmap for organizational changes for leaders and change managers. 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲 allows for better communication strategies, training, and support. For instance, during the early stages of denial and anger, clear and transparent communication about the reasons for the change is crucial.
Leaders should listen to their people, let them vent, keep calm, and not react. They should explain what's going to happen, the business rationale behind the change, and the benefits of the change.