The Curve of Change

I minored in psychology as an undergraduate (a long, long time ago). One psychology class that stuck with me was one focused on death and dying - a class I just happened to take because it was offered at the right time in the right semester.

One assignment. Plan your funeral. Not just tell someone about your arrangements to make, but write the speech. Plan the menu. Make the playlist.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's On Death and Dying book and her stages of grieving were also a big part of that class, as we explored not just our own death and dying but our loved ones, too. But a recent presentation by Chaka Turner during the Mississippi Public Health Association annual meeting introduced me to the Kubler-Ross Change Curve, a model that shows how people react to significant change.

So much is changing so fast in healthcare right now. Chaka pointed out that if, as some have argued, it takes an individual 21 days to change a habit, how long then will it take a large organization to affect change? (Even though we expect to see immediate results!)

Are you implementing significant changes at your organization right now? Just like in the stages of grief, if you know where your employees are on the change curve, you can better manage feedback and expectations. Too often, we are ready to move right to integration, but our fellow employees may still be in the shock or denial stage.

Change communication is just as important a part of any change management plan as project management. Don't be surprised by negative reactions to change...anticipate them.

This change management model can be used to identify barriers to change and to support employees through the change process. It focuses on the emotional response to change rather than on the project management side. And, too often, considering the emotional response to change is what is missing in all of those pretty project timelines!