Developed by: Jane Pettit, M.S. UMHS Human Resources

Change = the “external” event Transition = the “internal” process

“It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions. Change is not the same as transition. Change is external, transition is internal.” -William Bridges Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change Transition: the human side of change

 Change is situational: the new site, the new boss, the new team roles, the new policy, the new process…  What is changing for you?

 Transition is the psychological three-step process people go through to internalize and come to terms with a change.

Three Phases of Transition ENDINGS NEUTRAL ZONE NEW BEGINNINGS Not yet begun Finished Time

People progress through transitions at different speeds ENDINGS NEUTRAL ZONE NEW BEGINNINGS Not yet begun Finished Time

What people experience… Absenteeism Complaints Anger Forgetfulness WorriedConfused Frustrated Sad

Activity Reflect on a major change in your life: 1. As you made this change in your life, what ended? security, turf, status, influence, memberships, meaningful work, identity, control, relationships, etc. 2. How did that make you feel? angry, scared, lonely, excited, relieved, wondering 3. What helped (or might have helped) to make the transition easier? (talk to someone, time, information, knowing others were going through the same thing, ) What did you learn to avoid in the future? 4. What kind of outcome did you have? What helped create a good outcome? What would you do differently to avoid a bad outcome?

 Communicate, Communicate, Communicate frequently and less formally the good news and the bad acknowledge the emotional impact caused by the change Communicating During Times of Change

 Be open willing to share an honest expression of your own personal experience with an "owner's" view, not a "victim's" view of the circumstances listen and legitimize others' feelings and reactions

Communicating During Times of Change  Give support practice skills for listening and understanding others' point of view work together to create short term plans to address issues set up regular ongoing ways of working together

Communicating During Times of Change  Experiment hear/accept new ideas from others. encourage experimentation and accept mistakes. elicit ideas from others on how to help the change process.

Managing the Transitions What will you do to make this transition a success?

Genuine beginnings begin within us, even when they are brought to our attention by external opportunities. - William Bridges