Fluid Book

Understanding Change & The Change Curve
Transition Kotter’s 8 Steps

The Scarf Model

William Bridge Model

Understanding Change &
Transition

The fact is that organisations don't just change because of new systems,
processes or structures. They change because the people within the

organisation adapt and change too. Only when the people within it have
made their own personal transitions can an organisation truly reap the

benefits of change.

The challenge is to help and support people through these individual
transitions, which can sometimes be intensely traumatic, and involve

loss of power and prestige... and even employment.

The easier you can make this journey for people, the sooner they and the
organisation will benefit, and the more likely they are to be successful.

Understanding Change &
Transition

We are now going to look at some different theories and models to help you
support the business when delivering change. Please click on the icon below to
access an interactive liquid book which will provide you with information on:

The Change Scarf Model Kotter’s 8 William
Curve Steps Bridge
Model

You will also be signposted to additional resources.

The booklet is interactive so when you hover over certain images or tabs your cursor will change to a hand, this
means there is information behind the icon. On each page of the booklet you will have the option to go back, this
is highlighted using the back arrow, or to go back to the home screen you will see a home icon that returns you to
the home page.

Understanding Change & Change
Transition Transition

Change is an external event. An old
situation ends; something new begins.

Transition is an internal process – in
fact, it’s the emotional process we go
through when dealing with external
change. Transition occurs gradually, in
phases. It’s how we come to terms with
the new reality.

Change is an event in our external world
that happens to us. Transition is the
psychological process that
happens within us in response to the
change. The way we manage the
transition is even more important than
the specific change itself.

Understanding Change & Click the icons to find out
Transition more

Change affects everyone differently.
Sometimes people find it energising

and exciting and approach it as a
challenge, and sometimes people find

it unsettling and see it as a threat

Change Transition
External: Change happens to the Internal: Transition happens for the
organisation individual
Situational: Change happens to things Psychological: Transition happens for
Event-based: Change is triggered by people
external events which are widely Evidence-based: Evidence of transition
visible comes when people behave differently
Defined by outcome: Change happens Defined by process: Transition occurs
when something new is implemented by a process of letting go of what used
Can occur quickly: We can make things to be
change according to a schedule Always takes time: We can do little to
speed up an individual’s transition
5 process, including our own

Change The Change Curve is a popular and powerful model
Curve used to understand the stages of personal

We will look at the transition and organisational change. It helps you
following: predict how people will react to change, so that you
can help them make their own personal transitions,
and make sure that they have the help and support

they need

Understanding Reactions to Change Curve in Next Steps
the Change Change Practice
Curve

Understanding the What is missing in the Change
Change Curve Curve? Fill in the blank space

Fear

Click to
reveal
answer

The change curve is based on a model originally developed in the 1960s by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross to explain
the grieving process. Since then it has been widely used as a method of helping people understand their
reactions to significant change or upheaval.

Understanding the
Change Curve

The general theme of the curve is that, following the initial excitement, our
perception of the change often gets worse before it gets better. Although we
can’t prevent people following this process, effective change management

techniques can help to minimise the dips and speed up the process.

Individuals will go through this curve at different speeds. The challenge is to
balance the needs of team members who are in very different places on the

change curve.

Consider How does this relate to your own
experience of change?

Reactions to Change Click here
to reveal

the
different
stages

Shock/ Denial Resistance – Self Doubt-Apathy - Exploration & Acceptance - Commitment

Morale & Competence Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
At this stage, people may As people start to react to This is the turning point for
be in shock or in denial. the change, some may individuals and for the
This is when reality of the start to feel concern, organisation. Once you turn
change hits, even if the anger, resentment or fear. the corner to stage 3, people
change has been well Others may resist the are on the way to making a
planned and you change actively or success of the changes
understand what is passively. Some may feel
happening. People need the need to express their Stage 4
different amounts of time feelings and concerns, and This is where the changes start
to adjust. Here, people vent their anger. to become second nature, and
need information, need to people embrace the
understand what is improvements to the way they
happening, and need to work.
know how to get help Your team or organisation
starts to become productive
and efficient, and the positive
effects of change become
apparent.
While you are busy counting
the benefits, don't forget to
celebrate success!

Time

Stages of change Fill in the blank spaces.
What are the reactions to

change

Reaction Anxiety/Denial Fear - Threat – Gradual Moving Forward
Behaviours Guilt - Depression Acceptance
Vary from very frenetic Networking; making new
Emotions to immobility. Blaming; complaining; Letting go of the past friends; sense of
Withdrawing or worrying; irritability; low and trying new things; belonging and
Thoughts pretending nothing has activity; work in spurts people to become integration; settling clear
changed. involved, letting go of goals; following an
What can you do? Confusion, low self- the past and trying new Action Plan.
Managers Actions Panic; disbelief; surprise; esteem. Depression, low things. :. see that change
numbed. False optimism; self-worth, helplessness. is going ahead. Feeling of growth and
Behaviours suppressed anger. renewal; energised;
“Have I the skills?” “Will Increased energy and confident; positive.
“I don’t believe it!” I cope?” “Nobody wants elation; return of hope
“There’s been a my skills…” “I can’t and optimism; “I am happy with where I
mistake.” change anything.” purposeful; increased am now.” “The future is
“Reorganisation won’t confidence. bright.” What a lot I’ve
happen .” learnt.”
“It’s not all bad, we can
Emotions make the most of it”
“What can I take with
me?” “What do I offer?”
“The past is gone.”

Thoughts Click to
reveal
answer

Change Curve in Practice Click to reveal which is
Absorb and Push

Reaction Anxiety/Denial Fear - Threat – Gradual Moving Forward
Behaviours Guilt - Depression Acceptance

Emotions Vary from very frenetic Blaming; complaining; Letting go of the past Networking; making new
to immobility. worrying; irritability; low and trying new things; friends; sense of
Thoughts Withdrawing or activity; work in spurts people to become belonging and
pretending nothing has involved. :. see that integration; settling clear
What can you do? changed. change is going ahead. goals; following an
Managers Actions Action Plan.
Change Curve in PracticePanic; disbelief; surprise; Confusion, low self-
Feeling of growth and
numbed. False optimism; esteem. Depression, low renewal; energised;
Increased energy and confident; positive.
elation; return of hope
“I am happy with where I
suppressed anger. self-worth, helplessness. and optimism; am now.” “The future is
bright.” What a lot I’ve
purposeful; increased learnt.”

confidence. Focus time and energy
where you can make a
“I don’t believe it!” “Have I the skills?” “Will “It’s not all bad, we can difference; look ahead;
“There’s been a I cope?” “Nobody wants make the most of it” recognise and reward
mistake.” my skills…” “I can’t “What can I take with success; clarify goals.
“The change won’t change anything.” me?” “What do I offer?”
happen” “The past is gone.”

Acknowledge shock; lots Offer support; help to Acknowledge their
of empathy; be available; reframe negatives and turning point; encourage
be non-judgemental; if doubts; empathise with focus and meaning to
continues challenge inactivity and reflect activity; celebrate
sensitivity to see reality understanding; provide success.
energising activities.

Absorb Push

Next Steps Log into MyCampus to access

the following support tools:
• Transition Toolkit
• Wellbeing Hub
• Stress Resilience

Awareness

Scarf Model

Change affects everyone differently. The SCARF model is extremely useful
Sometimes people find it energising in understanding people’s reactions
to change and comes from David
and exciting and approach it as a
challenge, and sometimes people Rock, who specialises in the
find it unsettling and see it as a Neuroscience of Leadership.

threat.

Understanding SCARF SCARF in Next Steps
SCARF Responses Practice

Understanding Fill in the blanks. What does Click to
SCARF SCARF stand for? reveal
answer
Through brain scans,
we now know that Status A perceived threat to
an individual’s status–
there are five Certainty or a lack of certainty –
domains which can
trigger ‘threat’ or Autonomy will activate similar
‘reward’ responses in brain circuitry to a
the brain. These are: Relatedness threat to one’s life; a
perceived increase in
These five elements Fairness fairness – or being
are shown to activate given a greater degree
STATUS of control over what
either the ‘primary CERTAINTY we do at work – will
reward’ or ‘primary AUTONOMY activate the same
threat’ circuits and RELATEDNESS reward circuits and
networks in the brain. FAIRNESS networks as receiving
a financial reward.

Understanding Click on the letters to find
SCARF out more

SC AR F

Status or Certainty - how Autonomy or how Relatedness how Fairness, a sense
people’s sense much do I have much sense of connected do of treated as well
of significance as about what I need as others What
to do and my choice/ control do people feel with could you do to
compared to future What is it people feel they each other and increase the sense
others. How can you can be clear the organisation
you ensure that on. Clarity is a have What of fairness?
great proxy for opportunities can What Sometimes it’s just
people have a certainty to the opportunities
sense of knowing you create to could you use to about
brain? promote people’s increase the sense acknowledging
that you think of connection? when something is
their needs are involvement in
how things will be unfair
important? implemented, in

having a voice?

Understanding
SCARF

From this research, it is easy to see how change can
evoke such strong responses. As such, ‘change’
conversations that constantly induce ‘reward’
responses will provide a much more positive
experience.

If you are challenging one of the domains you could
be unwittingly increasing the threat response.

SCARF Which response is this? Reward
Responses Threat or Reward? Threat

Select the correct answer

What you The Threat Response Click to
seen when reveal
someone is Focus on the drama & problem of a answer
in a threat situation, everything else or other people
response: are the problem

Difficulty working well with others,
tendency to withdraw and do it my way!

Challenge in making connections between
things with a tendency for tunnel vision

A focus on the details often ones that
aren't important and difficulty in seeing
the bigger picture

Tendency to avoid issues rather than
getting on and tackling them
constructively

SCARF
Responses

When someone is The Reward Response
in a reward state
the opposite is Being able to think about solutions
true. It’s as if they
are delivering the Be much more approachable to others

potential they Getting the bigger picture and how they
knew they and. can contribute towards achieving it

Their brains Making better connections and
literally open up as patterns between things
the clever bits all
Show a greater engagement and
connect up so motivation to get involved.
much better. You

see them:

Next
Steps

Kotter’s 8 Step
Change Model

The 8 steps of John Kotter's change model
John Kotter's books 'Leading Change' and 'The Heart
Of Change' describe a popular and helpful model for

understanding and managing change.
Each stage acknowledges a key principle identified by
Kotter relating to people's response and approach to

change, and in which people see, feel and then
change.

Understanding Leading the Kotter’s in Next Steps
the model change Practice

effectively

Kotter’s 8 Step Fill in the blanks
Change Model
Creating the climate for
Click to change
reveal
answers Implementing &
sustaining for change
Engaging & enabling
the organisation

Kotter’s 8 Step Click the number to reveal all Kotter’s 8
Leading Change Steps

12 34

Establish why Identify the Create a Vision Communicate
this change is right team and Strategy the Change
happening and Vision

why it’s
happening now.

5678

Trust and Plan and create Consolidate Institutionalise
enable other to short term wins improvements new
and produce
act on the approaches in
Vision still more the culture
change

Kotter’s in
Practice

Next Steps

William Bridges
Transition Model

People are often quite uncomfortable with change, for all sorts of
understandable reasons. This can lead them to resist it and oppose it. This
is why it's important to understand how people are feeling as change
proceeds, so that you can guide them through it and so that – in the end –
they can accept it and support it.

William Bridges' Transition Model helps you do this.

Understanding Reaction to William Bridges Next Steps
the Model. Change in Practice

William Bridges
Transition Model

Adapting to Change is a process, which involves stages of transition.
Each stage can have both positive and negative reactions.
The main strength of the William Bridges model is that it focuses on
transition, not change.

William Bridges Fill in the blanks
Transition Model

The Transition Model was created by change consultant, William Bridges, three
stages of transition that people go through when they experience change. These
are:

Ending, Losing, and Letting Go.

The Neutral Zone.

The New Beginning.

Bridges says that people will go through each stage at their own pace.

Click to
reveal
answers

William Bridges
Reaction to Change

Ending, Losing, Letting Go – helping people deal with their tangible
and intangible losses and mentally prepare to move on

The Neutral Zone – This is all about helping get people through it,
and capitalising on all the confusion by encouraging them to be
innovators

The New Beginning – Helping people develop the new identity,
experience the new energy, and discover the new sense of purpose
that make the change begin to work.

William Bridges Click to
Transition Model reveal the
answers
Some examples of practical actions you can take to support
your teams during ‘endings’
Select the correct actions

Openly discuss the Only communicate Once change Ensure you have
organisational change if necessary complete, its time regular face-to-face
changes and why try an avoid if not to put it all behind engagement with
they are occurring needed and move on. impacted teams

Provide Mark the ending – Provide ongoing Ask people to keep
opportunities for help people to communications about there feelings to
people to discuss celebrate and then what is changing and themselves and not
their hopes and let go of the past when, and – just as demotivate the
fears importantly – what is team
staying the same

William Bridges Click to
Transition Model reveal
actions
What practical actions can you take to
support your teams during ‘the neutral Communicate often and in face-to-face
sessions wherever possible
zone’ Type below your answer
Be clear about what we do know and
what is not changing

Provide timelines and stick to them –
when will you know more?
Set up informal support networks and
encourage knowledge sharing
Help people understand their specific
role in ensuring business continuity
Articulate short term targets and
celebrate when you achieve them
Involve people in decision-making as
much as possible

Implement two way feedback channels

William Bridges Click to
Transition Model reveal
actions
What actions can you take to support your
teams during ‘beginnings’ Type below your Explain the new world in detail

answers Encourage communication across
the organisation
Personally demonstrate new
behaviours
Publicise success and
achievements

Set new goals and incentives

Involve people in decision-making
as much as possible
Embed new frameworks e.g.
Orchard vision, ways of working

Provide training for new skills

Next Steps