Keep People On Track

Change and transition, both are not the same. Change is the actual shifting of condition, while transition is more about people affected and adapting the changes.Transition begins when we end the old process/situation, and it ends with a new beginning. When two companies have a merger, the transition begins when you end the old organization and transition ends when you start adapting a new one.And managing transition means you bring people through the transition as smoothly as possible.

Change vs Transition

Beginnings are strange things. People want them to happen but fear them at the same time

When you're finished changing, you're finished

As people or organization will continually changing, as they should to, transition will always be part of it. Either it’s a big or a small one, each may bring potential problem when the change and transition is not managed well. Managing the change through a managed transition means you manage the fear of change, be open and earn trust from the people. To do so, always be honest, involve others, be clear and honour your words and commitments. So people will put their trust and be on board with you through the transition.

Keep Changing, Keep Transitioning

5. Prepare for people reaction – changes will bring reactions from people. Expect for a strong one6. Be open – communicate everything crystal clear and show empathy7. Consider something for recovery – think and discuss for any opportunity of compensation8. Consistent communication – just keep it flowing to keep people up-to-date9. Respect the past – be clear on the ending, make people realize and see that some part of their past will end, and they will move to a new future.

One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time

After the end but before the beginning, there will be a zone of chaos and confusion, it’s the Neutral Zone. People will take their time to adjust with new process, letting go the old circumstances and preparing for a new one. This is the phase will sometimes motivation and performance are impacted.This also a very creative period, where people can create breakthrough improvement as they currently not only no longer bond in an old habit/procedure but also not yet having any bond with a new one.

Adjustment During Neutral Zone

Having people out of their comfort zone, making a change, is challenging. Some people will actually enjoy the neutral zone as they are ‘roaming’ free without new procedures, or some people will try to bring the old obsolete value into the new process.

The New Beginning

Three stages of transition are:<ol><li>Ending – the end of the old process, the old way, or the old circumstances</li><li>Neutral – in-between time after the end of old era and before you start a new process, including the confusion, the chaos, the negative words, doubts and discomfort</li><li>Beginning – the start of the new process, the new way, or the new circumstances</li></ol>Transition is personal, therefore each person may have different phase. Even people may have themselves in two phases at the same time, i.e., start to use new tools at work while working with same process that being reviewed by Change Management team.

Stages of Transition

To help people start the new beginning and accept it, remember 4 P’s:Purpose – it will be easier to accept if people can see the purpose clear, real, and specific.Picture – showing your purpose in a real sample will even better, introduce them to someone who had been successfully going through the change, show them the real/actual benefit of changes that can be seen/imagined

Plan – transition plan will be more personal than a change plan. Change plan will include the date if people moving to new building, but transition plan will include the date of farewell party, the date of people can see their office for the first time, etcPart – try your best to make people be a part of the change, involve them in the party, involve them in the preparation, etc

Where there's a change, there's transition

To help people to accept the ending, so they can start the transition smoothly, some steps can be done: 1. Deep dive the incoming changes – be specific, be detail, avoid generalizations2. See the consequences – each change will cause another one, look forward and define the possibilities3. Prepare for some losses – love it or not, change sometimes make people lost something, try to identify the people and what they will lose: job title, comfort desk, access, etc4. See every loss as real as other – losses are not only something material, as immaterial losses should also be considered

It All Start With an Ending

To help people going through the confusing neutral zone, you can do:1. Make the change achievable – see people going through the change as human that need time to adjust, prepare them for what is coming and tell them the whole picture2. Be flexible – if necessary, drop old rules that blocking the way of transition3. Make some shorter goal – to keep people spirits up, making short goals towards the big one is advised4. Keep the info flowing – communicate clearly and consistently

What is transition, how to manage it and why it is important. William Bridges shared the idea in his book very clearly and in a very easy way to understand. 

The business world is a place of constant change, with stories of corporate mergers, layoffs, bankruptcy, and restructuring hitting the news every day. Yet as veteran consultant William Bridges maintains, the situational changes are not as difficult for companies to make as the psychological transitions. In the best-selling Managing Transitions, Bridges provides a clear understanding of what change does to employees and what employees in transition can do to an organization. Directed at managers and employees in today's corporations, Bridges shows how to minimize the distress and disruptions caused by change. Managing Transitions addresses the fact that it is people who have to carry out the change. When the book was originally published a decade ago, Bridges was the first to provide any real sense of the emotional impact of change and what can be done to keep it from disrupting the entire organization. With new information and commentary on layoffs, corporate suspicion, and the increasing tumult in the business world, Managing Transitions remains the definitive guide to dealing with change.

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The business world is a place of constant change, with stories of corporate mergers, layoffs, bankruptcy, and restructuring hitting the news every day. Yet as veteran consultant William Bridges maintains, the situational changes are not as difficult for companies to make as the psychological transitions. In the best-selling Managing Transitions, Bridges provides a clear understanding of what change does to employees and what employees in transition can do to an organization. Directed at managers and employees in today's corporations, Bridges shows how to minimize the distress and disruptions caused by change. Managing Transitions addresses the fact that it is people who have to carry out the change. When the book was originally published a decade ago, Bridges was the first to provide any real sense of the emotional impact of change and what can be done to keep it from disrupting the entire organization. With new information and commentary on layoffs, corporate suspicion, and the increasing tumult in the business world, Managing Transitions remains the definitive guide to dealing with change.

WILLIAM BRIDGES

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