Welcome to my blog, in which I'll be sharing my thoughts and experiences of sport psychology, business psychology, change and organisational development. I intend to be fairly provocative, but not personal, and I hope to stimulate debate and discussion. Please comment, or share your thoughts with me by email
The Change Curve Debunked
One of the concepts that is misunderstood and misapplied frequently, even by major players in change, is that of the Change Curve.
The Change Curve is an adaptation of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five-stage theory that seeks to explain how people deal with catastrophic personal loss (e.g. loss of a job, freedom, finances, status, identity) or grief (loss of a loved one). The stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
It has also been observed that personal change can be somewhat like personal loss and, therefore, the model has been applied to change. Indeed, I have seen it stated, more or less as fact, that when people change they need to be helped along this curve. I’ve also seen it reduced to four (that way it fits nicely in a matrix) and three stages.
But wait a minute. Let’s not let the facts get in the way of a nice model. On the other hand, let’s debunk this baby right now.
(Let’s overlook the fact that the five-stage model has had little empirical testing in its own right, and particularly in relation to organisational change.)
First of all, Kübler-Ross herself stated that people do not necessarily go through all of the stages, and if they do, it can be in any order. Indeed, people can experience a whole range of emotions at different times during grief.
Second, and for me the real point, is that change is not always experienced as loss. Some people love it. It’s exciting. It’s new. It’s a break with the crappy old way of doing things. It’s liberating. Why have we given change which, let’s face it, people do all the time, such a bad press that it is considered synonymous with grief?
By all means, keep the five-stage model in our armoury, but let’s not get carried away with it. Let’s not present it as an unequivocal truth. And let’s not let it get in the way of attempting to truly understand how people really experience change.
Jan 24, 08:59 AM | Business-Psychology | |
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Rob Robson, Sport Psychologist and Management Consultant
