The Psychology of Change in Work and Life

We all encounter change in our professional and personal lives, but why are some changes successful and others not so much?

In this Article:

Humans are designed to find change uneasy

Successfully implementing change often comes down to how it is managed

Clear and constant communication is the key to a workplace adapting well to change

As a concept, the psychology around change gets a bit of a bad rap.

Mention the word, and people generally get on the back foot. It means a disruption to the status quo. It means things are going to be different. It means there’ll be something new to think about. Or do.

Or maybe the ‘doing’ won’t be there anymore because the change means you’re out of a job.

“As humans, we tend to have this instinctive reaction to change, which is a ‘No, stop it!’, because we’re used to how things are,” says psychologist, author and speaker, Dr Jo Lukins.

“But change is predictable.”

And, there’s the rub. Whoever we are and whatever we do, we all know change – in some form or another – is coming. It’s constant in both our professional and personal lives, and in a 2020 Gartner survey, 75 per cent of people expect change.

So how can something so predictable be feared so much?

The need to feel in control

“Two things that humans typically don’t like are when life feels out of control and unpredictable, and that’s been a given over the past two or three years,” says Dr Lukins.

Added to that, many changes in the workplace may see new new technology, systems or processes being introduced that changes the day-to-day.

"Sometimes, what change initially offers us is pain. People are going back to that beginner status, and are more self-conscious, it takes more time," she says.

“So initially, there’s greater pain points there for the person.

“And humans don’t like to experience pain. Some people will see the opportunity and what it will bring, and other people get worried and anxious about what the change means.”

Making change work

Being able to see the opportunity is critically important – and that comes from how the change itself is managed and implemented.

Given that research shows that, in the workplace, about half of change initiatives fail, and only 34 per cent are clearly successful, it doesn’t take Mr Einstein to see the connection.

“There are a variety of factors that can contribute to change not working,” says psychologist, author and Keynote Speaker, Dr Marny Lishman.

“It could be what the change is, how it’s managed by leaders, whether the timing is right for the change and whether the people and organisation as a whole are ready.

“There are many roadblocks to change, but in a world that is changing at a very fast-paced speed, it's important that people develop the psychological capabilities to not only handle it but adapt to it, too," says Dr Lishman.

“A lot of people actually find change difficult, particularly if it is imposed on them by someone else and they can’t predict the outcome. Often when we embrace change, it’s because we can foresee what the benefits are and feel positive about it. If we feel a lack of control, don’t have enough information and feel uncertain, it’s likely we will resist is as it feels unsafe and uncomfortable.”

Communication is Key

When the success or failure of change management is analysed, it has been found that the vision (if there is one) is often drastically under-communicated, short-term wins aren’t identified, and culturally the need for change isn’t well established.

Ultimately, any change in the workplace has to be explained well, given context, and the fear removed.

“You need to have empathy for how people are feeling in the workplace,” says Dr Lishman.

“Many people fear change, so first and foremost is validating how they are feeling.

“Involve other people in the process, so they feel like they are a part of it, feel connected, and allow them to feel a sense of control through the change. Communicate with people as much as you can – the human brain doesn’t like a lack of information – that’s why people make things up or go to worst-case scenarios when they are scared.”

Ultimately, managing change in the workplace isn’t easy – it’s complex and needs deep thought, understanding and empathy.

By having and communicating a clear vision of what the change will enable and understanding the needs of individuals, change can be extremely successful.

If you just change something and let people crack on, however, it will be doomed to failure.

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