A model of change, as described by Scott and Jaffe, identifies four change phases and how people move through those phases.

In the denial phase, there may be lack of interest, feelings that this is something that’s not going to happen or an element of wanting to hold onto the current way of doing things. The following ideas may help during this phase:

• Spend time fact finding, getting all the information about what is to happen and why, and communicate this information
• Try to understand what the consequences of not changing could be
• Encourage people to face the reality of the situation.

The resistance phase may result in withdrawal from work, feelings of anger or anxiety about the change, and some people may not feel confident in their ability to work in a new way. Resistance is a normal response to people being asked to do something different or new. The following may help you and your team through this phase:

• Talk openly about concerns about the changes
• Plan for what those resisting factors might be
• Ensure the reasons for the change are communicated to everyone affected
• Give everyone the support and training they need to feel confident in their own ability.

In the exploration phase, people start to take action and try to work out how to make the change work. There can be a lot of trial and error in this phase, which can lead to frustration, but there is also consideration of how it may all work in the future. There may be a sense of excitement and awareness of new possibilities that are due to the change and energy levels will be boosted.

Often, there may be movement backwards and forwards between the resistance and exploration phases. To go through this phase, give everyone a chance to try out new ways of working, work together to solve problems, have a positive vision for the future and use everyone’s ideas.

When teams are going through resistance and exploration phases, there is likely to be a performance dip. Keeping that dip as shallow as possible, or going through these phases as quickly as possible, can help to maintain profitability and customer satisfaction.

The commitment phase brings about a new stage of productivity; the team are working together again and have job satisfaction. The change is now the new way of working. In this phase, it is useful to review what went well with the process, what might be the next change opportunity and to reward yourself and the team for the success.