How an understanding of psychology can help you to manage change more effectively
Many leaders will be driving their organisations through change; in some cases this may be related to unwanted change such as downsizing to meet the Government's tough targets for spending cuts and in others it may be related to positive change such as restructuring for growth. In order for managers to understand individuals' responses to change and help them to deal with the change process, psychological models can be very useful tools.
The role of change agent involves generating enthusiasm for the change process as well as challenging sceptics and getting their 'buy-in'. People experience a sense of loss during change even if the change is seen as beneficial. Consider the case of moving house, although the move is seen as a good one there is still an element of sadness at leaving the familiar behind. So imagine how unexpected and unwanted change can evoke a series of emotional responses such as anger and blame which underlie the resistance managers often experience at work.
As a driver of change it is important for a leader to understand where people are in relation to the change in order to help them to adjust. Really understanding what's going on in an individual's mind can help the manager to provide the optimum level of support to ease the transition and ensure they are back up and running as soon as possible.
One of the most commonly used models in explaining the change process is Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's Grief Cycle which is used to explain the phases people can go through when they experience a loss, such as losing their job or colleagues through redundancy. There are many versions of the original model and the one below is an adaptation used to explain the change process.
The initial stage is one of shock on first hearing the news and comments such as 'What? I don't believe it' are common. At this phase people are stopped in their tracks as they try to assimilate what they have heard.
Next comes denial when they try to convince themselves it isn't happening; 'No they tried this before and it won't work'.
Fear and anger follow from the realisation that it is going to happen after all and there may be outbursts of emotion; consider the strikes and rallies we see on the news.
If anger doesn't resolve it then the individual moves to depression where their mood and productivity dip as they focus on how much better it was before.
The final three phases understanding, acceptance and moving on are when the individual starts to explore the possibilities of how the change will affect them and this is when they need information and support to transition from the old to the new.
This model is useful for planning how to communicate change. People move along the curve at different speeds and giving the wrong message at the wrong time can lead to greater resistance. For example, someone who is feeling very fearful about the change will need support and reassurance rather than hearing about how great the change will be for the organisation overall.
Another model which has been used to help understand the psychological impact of change is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a theory which attempts to explain human motivation. Maslow suggested there are five levels of needs and the lower needs have to be met before the higher needs.
- Physiological Needs
These include the most basic needs that are vital to survival, such as the need for air, food water and sleep. These needs are the most basic and instinctive needs in the hierarchy because all needs become secondary until these physiological needs are met.
- Security needs
These needs are about safety and security. For example, a desire for steady employment; organisational change and restructuring can adversely impact on employees' feelings of security - this must be addressed to help them with the transition.
- Social needs
These needs are about belonging and affection. Working relationships and being part of a team meet these needs and when teams change these needs may not be met, resulting in resistance and poor performance.
- Esteem needs
These needs are about self-esteem, personal worth, social recognition and accomplishment. Changes to roles can result in individuals feeling their status, power and influence have been reduced and this can negatively affect feelings of self-esteem, leading to a lack of confidence.
- Self-actualising needs
Self-actualisation is about personal growth and development and is less concerned with the opinions of others. The aim here is to fulfil potential.
Knowledge of needs can help leaders to address individuals' concerns in the right order: so security needs should be addressed before social needs, which means that information about job security would come before discussion about team roles.
In conclusion, even positive change is uncomfortable and leaders who are responsible for driving change initiatives can benefit from a psychological understanding of resistance to change. This can help to identify where the resistance is coming from so that it can be acknowledged and addressed in the most appropriate way. If you are involved in change and would like some advice don't hesitate to contact us at enquiries@lcp.org.uk or call us on 01273 707404. Alternatively, pay a visit to our new LCP blog and leave a comment. If there's a topic you'd like to see covered in the future in either our newsletter or blog, we'd be happy to help. | 
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