Kubler-Ross Change Curve

Most people face change with fear. After all, their unpredictability threatens the loss of stability, control, status, competence, money, social connections, or jobs.

People's reactions to change manifest themselves in different emotions and defense mechanisms. Does this sound familiar? Then, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the Kübler-Ross model.

Psychologist Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, who studied the emotional reactions of severely ill and dying people, identified five key stages they go through:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

To some extent, people go through the same stages in their emotional reactions when they have to adapt to a new reality in the context of organizational changes.

Let's look at people's behavior and possible actions to manage the changes at each stage.

"I can't believe it," "It doesn't happen," "Not to me!", "Not again!"

In the initial denial phase, people fear that change will negatively affect them. If to pretend there is no change, if to distance ourselves from it, perhaps it will disappear.

Denial can manifest in people not participating in discussions and being indifferent or defiantly busy with routine-bureaucratic duties.

What can be done at this point?

• provide as much information as possible through different communication channels about the purpose and reasons for change;
• give people time to understand the change;
• stimulate discussions and get people involved.

"This is unfair! No! I can't accept this!"

At this stage, it is essential to understand that anger is provoked not by the changes themselves but by the losses they bring. As a result, people can:

• complain instead of working;
• fall into accusations and criticism;
• get irritated and cling to trifles.

What can be done at this stage?

• listen to people, and recognize their feelings;
• offer ways to compensate for the losses that the employees are afraid of, for example, additional training, retraining, flexible schedule, etc.;
• encourage people to direct their working energy to the implementation of changes instead of criticism and empty words;
• stop overt sabotage, but don't respond to aggression with aggression.

"I'll do it on time, just a few more years."

Bargaining is an attempt to delay the inevitable. We attempt to “make a deal” with management or ourselves to put off change or to find a way out of a given situation. For example, a worker might begin to work overtime to avoid an impending layoff. On the other hand, bargaining is a sign that people are already starting to look toward the future and seek new opportunities.

What can be done at this stage?

• Direct people's energy into positive channels, not discouraging their ideas;
• Stimulate brainstorms and strategic sessions;
• Help employees appraise their careers and emerging opportunities in a different light.

«What's the point in trying? It won't lead to anything good anyway.»

When people understand that bargaining does not result in changes that are beneficial to them, impending change becomes a reality. This pushes people into a state of discouragement, depression, and lack of energy. In companies, signs of depression are:

• general apathy;
• an increase in sick leaves and absences at work;
• high staff turnover.

What can be done at this stage?

• acknowledge existing difficulties and problems;
• eliminate any remaining fears, doubts, and indecision;
• help people get out of the state of depression, support any attempts at active actions and provide positive feedback;
• show employees personal examples of involvement in the change project;

"It'll be okay," "I can't beat this, but I can prepare well for it."

While acceptance is the final stage, it is essential to understand that it does not mean acceptance. People realize that further resistance is pointless and begin to evaluate prospects.

Acceptance manifests itself as follows:

• ready to learn new things;
• investing in making change work;
• feeling engaged and engaging others.

What can you do at this point?

• reinforce and reinforce new behaviors;
• reward successes and achievements;
• develop and set new goals.

The Kubler-Ross model is useful for identifying and understanding how people cope with changes. In reality, people do not always go through the stages sequentially; there are often backslides to previous states. Furthermore, not everybody reaches the acceptance stage.

Change Leaders in organizations, who know this emotional dynamic, have several advantages:

• understand that resistance is normal;
• are aware of at what stage the resistance lies and what reactions can be expected further;
• feel relief from understanding that their reactions and feelings are normal and not a sign of weakness;
• can devise and execute the appropriate actions for a fast and effective progression through these stages.