Posted by Nathalia Lopes on 22 Julho, 2021
The processes of change in companies are like a big iceberg. On the surface, a lot happens: new processes, new products, a lot of information, tight deadlines, people moving in and out. It takes work to manage all this transformation!
This, however, is a small part of the phenomena triggered every time there is a major change in organizations. The greatest challenges to successful management of change processes are invisible! Each person reacts to change in a different way and their ability and willingness to commit to the new depends on a personal and collective transition process.
The American author William Bridges makes a distinction between change and transition. Change is an external, objective event that reaches many people regardless of their will. The transition is the emotional response to change; an internal reorientation process that each person needs to do to be able to deal with and engage with the new reality around them.
The transition process can be divided into three stages: termination, neutral zone and restart. Each stage awakens different emotions and reactions in people. To make your own transition and help your team complete this journey, the leader needs to understand this human and invisible side of change. Therefore, it is important to know what each stage of the transition means, what feelings are most present in the group and what actions are needed to support the team.
Step 1: Termination
The starting point for the transition is to recognize what has ended, what will no longer exist is that we have to give up. At this stage, feelings of loss, sadness, resentment or anger are common on the team. There is also fear and anxiety about the future. Some people may adopt a posture of denial, ignoring or minimizing change and its impacts. Others can react enthusiastically to the new possibilities.
In this scenario, leadership plays an important role in:
Recognize and understand the emotions experienced by people. Do not minimize and ignore the losses occurred.
Give the team the opportunity to express their feelings and concerns and take the initiative to do the same.
Build a clear view of what has ended and what continues. Continuities help the team at this time.
Learn from previous experiences: rescue how the team has dealt positively with other changes and highlight the skills that already exist internally for this.
Create symbolic actions that show a break between the new and the past. It can be something simple as a room change.
Stage 2 : Neutral Zone
This is an intermediate stage, in which the old model no longer exists and the new model is not fully defined. Under these conditions, there is often a sense of confusion and disconnection. People may become impatient or feel disoriented. On the other hand, many show curiosity, expectation and are receptive to the news.
The neutral zone is a crucial moment for the redefinition of the new identity and processes. At this stage, leadership needs to be attentive to:
Establish realistic goals and prioritize short-term goals. People’s productivity may fall and the recurrent difficulty of achieving a more robust goal may further affect group morale.
Explore new possibilities, instead of quickly embracing a new solution just for the desire to get out of confusion. Prefer temporary solutions that can be tested and help the group to remain cohesive at this stage.
Take the time to reassess processes, redefine purposes and identify the need for new skills in yourself and in the group.
Step 3 : Restart
This is a more practical and rational moment, to transform the possibilities explored in the previous stage into more concrete objectives and plans. When the transition process is successful, people come to this stage with a feeling of confidence, satisfaction and renewed energy. The challenge of the leader at this stage is:
Direct energy to create plans and actions that enable the desired changes.
Search for situations that allow you to test new plans or ensure quick successes (Quick wins). This is important to increase your confidence and team confidence.
Be attentive to the inner critic: that inner voice that sometimes insists on saying "you will not succeed" and that can prevent our advance.
The transition is the internal movement that enables external transformations. When done well, the transition brings people a new sense of purpose and renews the energies for the challenges of change. That is why it is so important that the leader monitors people’s evolution as they progress through the transition stages and is prepared to give the team the support it needs.
Source: http://beehavior.com.br/liderando-a-transicao/