From Change Fatigue to Sustainable Performance: 5 Evidence-Based Approaches for Lasting Transformation.
Fernando Oliva MSc
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Change fatigue is a “hot” topic in the change space and it has been for a while.
Below I list 5 opportunities that I see when discussing change fatigue and share evidence-based approaches to shift from fatigue to sustainable performance (applied across the main industries in Australia through my coaching and consulting work).??
1- To redefine performance.??
Many teams experiencing change fatigue are dedicated, care about the work they do, and try to bring some of the organizational values to life.?
See this organizational value, for example > “we relentlessly hold a high bar for performance”.?
Just a value like this may create a misunderstanding as relentlessly means to pursue or engage in something with persistent determination, without stopping or giving up easily.
What can you do?
For instance, you can ban “back-to-back” meetings.?
We all have 4 core capacities > cognitive, physical, emotional, and spiritual.?
Help your team understand what is consuming their capacities and discuss ways to regenerate them.?
What core habits, practices, and protocols do you need to have in place to regenerate all capacities??
Activity for the sake does not move the needle, can be addictive, and lead to burnout.
2- To challenge cognitive distortions enabling a shift in the team and organizational narratives.??
What do we mean by change fatigue, who is experiencing it, and for how long??
In all organizations, there are individuals who are fatigued and others who are not.?
Who is not fatigued? Why??
What data (or narratives) do we have to confirm or challenge the idea that we are change fatigued???
What can you do
Starting with a curious mind, you can enable dialogue to help people appreciate how their worldviews and mental models may be actually promoting change fatigue (or not).?
Also, consider to what extent cognitive distortions may be influencing or shaping organizational narratives.?
Some of these distortions include:
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3- To enable self-determination.?
Self-Determination Theory (SDT) proposes that human motivation is driven by three key needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness.?
These 3 components work together to foster intrinsic motivation, well-being, and optimal functioning in various domains of life, including work, education, and personal pursuits.?
There is often change fatigue when some or all of these 3 core human needs are unmet.?
What can you do?
Use a scale from 1 to 10 to measure autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and discuss with your team opportunities to increase the score.?
4- To focus on solutions vs problems.?
“What we focus on, expands.”?
When there is value in understanding what problems we face and why, there is a point when we need to move on and focus on solutions to shift the energy.?
Problems are like monsters we feed.?
The more attention and focus we give them, the bigger they become.?
What can you do?
Spend more time in the top-right-hand side in the quadrant below, asking more than telling, and focusing on solutions more than problems.?
5- To manage challenge and skill levels, enabling optimal levels of stress and flow.??
People also experience change fatigue when the challenges faced are above their skill level, triggering anxiety, arousal, and worry.?
Or when their skill level is higher than the challenge faced, feeling apathy, boredom, or relaxation.?
What can you do
There are 20+ focus areas to shift from change fatigue to sustainable performance.
Feel free to reach out to discuss the other 15.?
What can you implement today?
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1 年Fernando, thanks for sharing!
Senior Advisor | IT and Digital Strategy | IT Operating Model| Ex-Microsoft | PhD - Technology Management
1 年Fernando Oliva MSc interesting read and great insights. I think you touched it in point # 3 but I would classify it in my words. The 'change fatigue' will be seen more common in organizations where low level employees are not engaged from the beginning in change initiatives. If sense of urgency is not communicated and sold, every time a new change project is announced by the top management; employees will always question 'What is new now'? How this will impact us? and then resistance /blaming is the natural call ?? ?? . Bottom up approach works better to involve employees and 'Let us do it together'.