How to manage emotions through change

It’s tempting to pretend change is easy.

As an example, you might be adopting a new software system at work. Exciting!* As the complexity and reality of the transition sets in, though, frustration and resistance can follow. This is a natural reaction to change, not a setback. It’s important to recognise these feelings without letting them dominate or derail the process.

Similarly, when a company undergoes restructuring, roles and responsibilities might shift, leading to uncertainty and anxiety among employees. Here too, it's vital not to ignore these difficult emotions. Acknowledging them can foster a more supportive environment that encourages open communication and adaptability.

Change often stirs a complex mix of emotions. While it can be tempting to either suppress these feelings or allow them to overwhelm us, neither approach is particularly helpful. Instead, acknowledging and managing these feelings can be far more useful.

A mistake I often see leaders make is to try and snap people from the point of first hearing about the change to being totally on board with it, skipping over all the uncomfortable complexity in between.

Leaders can forget, too, that they’ve usually been hearing about the change for much longer and will be further along in the process than those that are finding out about it for the first time.

The key is to neither squash nor exaggerate the discomfort, but to allow it space. Recognise it, understand its source, and address it without letting it stagnate. This could mean setting up training sessions to boost confidence in using the new software, or creating forums where employees can voice concerns and learn about how their roles might evolve.

Navigating change effectively requires a balance — acknowledging the tough parts without heaping fertiliser on them. Take the time now and it will pay off later.

If you’re working through some tricky changes and could use a sounding board, get in touch!

Until next week,

Take care of yourself and others

Madeleine

* not really

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