CHANGE

AND
TRANSITION MANAGEMENT

Developed by:
Jane Pettit, M.S.
UMHS Human Resources
janep@umich.edu
 Change = the “external” event

Transition = the “internal” process

 Transition:
the human side of change
“It isn’t the changes that do you in,
it’s the transitions. Change is not the
same as transition. Change is
external, transition is internal.”
- William Bridges
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change
 Change is situational: the new
site, the new boss, the new team
roles, the new policy, the new
process…

 What is changing for you?

 Transition is the psychological
three-step process people go
through to internalize and come to
terms with a change.
 Three Phases of Transition

NEUTRAL NEW
ENDINGS ZONE BEGINNINGS

Not yet
Finished
begun

Time
 People progress through transitions at
different speeds

NEUTRAL NEW
ENDINGS ZONE BEGINNINGS

Not yet
Finished
begun

Time
What people experience…

Anger

Complaints
Forgetfulness

Absenteeism

Worried Confused
Sad Frustrated
Activity
Reflect on a major change in your life:

1. As you made this change in your life, what ended?

security, turf, status, influence, memberships, meaningful work, identity,
control, relationships, etc.

2. How did that make you feel?

angry, scared, lonely, excited, relieved, wondering

3. What helped (or might have helped) to make the transition easier?
(talk to someone, time, information, knowing others were going through the
same thing, ) What did you learn to avoid in the future?

4. What kind of outcome did you have? What helped create a good
outcome? What would you do differently to avoid a bad outcome?
Communicating During Times of
Change
 Communicate, Communicate,
Communicate
frequently and less formally
the good news and the bad
acknowledge the emotional impact caused
by the change

http://www.med.umich.edu/i/integration/
Communicating During Times of
Change
 Be open
willing to share an honest expression of your
own personal experience
with an "owner's" view, not a "victim's" view
of the circumstances
listen and legitimize others' feelings and
reactions
Communicating During Times of
Change
 Give support
practice skills for listening and
understanding others' point of view
work together to create short term plans to
address issues
set up regular ongoing ways of working
together
Communicating During Times of
Change
 Experiment
hear/accept new ideas from others.
encourage experimentation and accept
mistakes.
elicit ideas from others on how to help the
change process.
Managing the Transitions

What will you

do to make this
transition a
success?
Genuine beginnings begin within us, even when they are
brought to our attention by external opportunities.
- William Bridges