Betty Krecji
Purdue University Department of Consumer and Family Sciences
Change is constant in today's world. Because everything we once knew and depended on is changing, it can be overwhelming. When major change occurs, people have similar reactions of fear, anxiety, self-doubt, and a lack of control. The difference occurs in how individuals respond to change.
Change and Transition
It is important to differentiate between change and transition. Change is situational. It is the event, such as a new house, a new job, or the loss of a family business. Transition is the psychological process one goes through in adapting to change. Unless a successful transition occurs, change will not work. Since change is often beyond our control, it is important to focus on how individuals respond to change, or make the transition.
View of Change Impacts Response
How one views change has a great impact on the transition. Typically, individuals view change as either opportunity or loss. How individuals view change is dependent on many things.
Change as Loss
When people view change as loss, they must actually go through a grief process in order to effectively make the change. There are five stages in the grief cycle as identified in the work of Kubler-Ross in 1969.
The first stage is shock and denial. In this stage, people are numb and often deny that a change has even occurred. They blame others and do not recognize the need to make decisions.
Once shock wears off, people enter a stage of anger, frustration, and anxiety. So much energy is placed in negative emotions at this stage that there is no energy to make critical decisions. This is an important part of the grief process, but how the negative emotions are played out should be watched carefully.
The next stage is depression. At this stage, individuals experience an overwhelming sense of "the blues" and a lack of energy. Because of the energy spent in negative emotion in the previous stage, there is no energy at this time to make decisions for oneself. This is a stage where individuals need the help of family and friends.
Once individuals enter the dialogue and bargaining stage of the grief cycle, they are more open to exploring alternatives. At this time they need to gather information and consider options. Frequently, individuals feel a need to tell their story in order to make sense of what has occurred. A good listener can be critical.
The final stage is the acceptance stage. Entering the acceptance stage doesn't mean individuals necessarily like the change, but rather they are beginning to accept that it has happened and are willing to work it into their lives. At this time, they feel empowered and in control of their life, but things will never be the same. Change has occurred.
Unfortunately, individuals do not go through the grief cycle in a neat, step-by-step fashion. Rather, they move back and forth between the various phases. The important thing is to recognize the stages of the grief process as normal and to be prepared for what each stage has in store. The danger lies in "getting stuck" in any one phase, especially the anger or depression phases. If this happens, individuals may need to seek professional help.
Although change is often beyond our control, it is important to remember you are not alone. Open communication and a positive attitude will help everyone involved manage the transition to successfully incorporate change.
References
"Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change," William Bridges and Associates, Inc., 1991.
"Change: Loss, Opportunity, and Resilience," Sharon Danes, Professor, University of Minnesota, 1999.
Revised 3/00
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