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| Change Uzma Mazhar © 1997 Change does not occur overnight and usually
never goes as planned. Change impacts three areas of a person’s life—their thoughts, feelings and actions. People adapt to any change by moving
through three psychological stages, beginning with denial, then
resistance, followed by acceptance. The process is not always linear.
People move through these stages at different
rates. The initial reaction: Denial or Shock People first respond to change with denial
and shock. They say things like "I can’t believe this is
happening" or "I don’t believe it." Before
a change is announced all is well. People know what is expected of
them and they know the criteria by which they are judged. They have a
sense of predictability and control. Shock has an evolutionary biological foundation. When threatened most people have a 'fight or flight' response. This reaction served a protective function when primitive man faced life-threatening situations. Shock serves a protective function. Change is often experienced as a threat.
But fighting or fleeing are not the only responses. In some
situations we 'freeze'... become immobilized. We stop what we are
doing and the ability to attend to and retain information is diminished.
Some also become depressed and feel helpless and hopeless. They feel
over-whelmed and shut down. This is an internal system that leads to
adaptation. The second state of change: Resistance
or Opposition It takes some time for the shock to wear
off. At this point, resistance and opposition sets in. People refuse
to let go of the familiar way of doing things. They oppose any and all
attempts to voluntarily change and look with suspicion at attempts to
introduce change. They feel forced and coerced. They resist having
to give up their choice. The element of fear sets in. They don't know what to expect. They don't know how to be. They have lost the parameters or rules/expectations with which they lived. They doubt themselves and everyone who demands that change. They may react with anger because of their fear. People may oppose change for weeks or
months. The length of time is determined by the magnitude and scope of
change they are being asked to adapt to, as well the amount of change they
have assimilated in the past. Too many changes, over a short period of
time, will exhaust anyone’s capacity to adapt to change. Opposition is marked by a decrease in co-operation. Some people become ill, take time off from work, withdraw from team activities, and everyone complains and argue. Stress and fear 'somatizes' ie: it manifests as physical illnesses. Change is also about giving up control. This is very apparent in relationships, especially abusive relationships. When one partner expects the other to stop 'bullying' them, the abusive partner has to learn to give up their control of that person and that situation. Few are comfortable letting go of their 'power' and will resist change. Encouragement, support and patience makes
the process easier. The third stage of change: Adaptation or
Acceptance Things start looking better as people begin
to recognize that their fears have not been substantiated. They begin to
discover new ways of doing things and experiment with new possibilities;
they experience a renewed sense of competence and security. This is a
positive, future-focused phase. People begin to see that there is
light at the end of the tunnel. After having lived with the new changes for a while, people usually become involved again. They adapt to the new way of doing things. They exert effort individually and as a team. There is more cooperation, better focus, improved communication, and a genuine search for opportunities to improve. People’s progress is determined by:
And of course there will always be some who act like stubborn mules. ;-) They dig in their heels and refuse to budge. Depending on how invested you are in them, you can either exert the effort to pull them along, or let them be and move on.
Contact Info: UzmaMazhar@hotmail.com
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