“Ok, we set our goals. Now what?” People begin to experience the pressure

“The only constant is change.” - Heraclitus, 500 B.C.

1. Loss 2. Doubt 3. Discomfort Danger Zone! – 5. Discovery 6. Understanding 7. Integration

Characterized by:  Feelings of fear  Cautious thoughts  Paralyzed behavior How to Address it: Create Safety  Help identify and communicate likely benefits  Help to address fears  Make sure team members feel “heard”  Reduce ambiguity about what you’re (all) trying to accomplish

Characterized by:  Feelings of resentment  Skeptical thoughts  Resistant behavior How to Address It: Listen and Provide Information  “What specific concerns do you have?”  “What information do you need to ease your doubts?”  Create support through a team-based approach  Identify and enable respected “champions” for the project

Characterized by:  Feelings of anxiety  Thoughts are confused  Behavior is unproductive Task: Motivate!  Achieve small victories – ◦ Meeting intermediate goals can help to win trust and confidence  Demonstrate the benefits of the new way But your work is not done yet…

DANGER ZONE Anxiety levels are increased for everyone! A smooth transition between Discomfort (Stage 3) and Discovery (Stage 4) is crucial to move towards successful change.

 Remind everyone why we’re doing this  One-on-one interventions and conversations  Make sure you still have “buy-in”  Ask pro-actively about what risks the team predicts  Manage anxiety without giving into it

Characterized by:  Feelings of anticipation  Thoughts are creative  Behavior is energized Task: Make Decisions  Use information gathered to make quality decisions about change  Understand how the person’s enthusiasm can help the project Might be a good time to celebrate another small victory Maybe we should risk stratify…!

Characterized by:  Feelings of confidence  Thoughts are pragmatic  Behavior is productive Task: Clarify Benefits  Be able to articulate benefits of change

Characterized by:  Feelings of satisfaction  Thoughts are focused  Behavior is generous  Full ownership of the change Change is achieved. Celebrate! The cycle repeats.

Thank you! “Be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mohandas Gandhi “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” - signature of a Beacon participant

Questions/ Comments? What are other reasons people resist change? What methods for getting through the Danger Zone have you found successful?

The Inter Change Cycle Series: Catalyst Consulting Team: change-and-managing-transition.html CompassPoint’s Institute for Nonprofit Consulting (I.N.C.):