5.4 Bridges' Transition Model

William Bridges' transition model provides practical advice on how to move people through the emotions of change towards acceptance and problem solving. It is the companion to the change curve: the curve describes what people feel, Bridges describes what leaders should do about it.

Change versus transition

The distinction is the foundation of the model and is examined directly:

• Change — the actual events, activities and steps that can be put into a diary or project plan
• Transition — the human, psychological process of letting go of one pattern and engaging with a new one

Change is external and can be scheduled. Transition is internal and cannot. Bridges' most quoted line makes the point: "Starts take place on a schedule as a result of decisions... Beginnings, on the other hand, are the final phase of this organic process that we call transition, and their timing is not set by the dates written on the implementation schedule. Beginnings follow the timing of the mind and heart."

The three phases

Phase 1: Endings

Letting go of the old ways and the old identity people had. This is where transition begins — a point that regularly catches candidates out. Transition starts with an ending, not with the new thing.

Bridges' advice to managers and leaders:

• Describe the change in very specific terms, so people are clear what precisely will be different
• Do not dismiss as trivial anything that people are losing. Acknowledge losses, large and small, with real empathy
• Let people know what will not change. For example, stating that existing workgroups will be kept close together in the new office configuration may make a big difference
• Give reasons why the current situation cannot continue. There will be gains amongst the losses
• Show respect for all that has gone before. Help people see how the best aspects of the past — its successes and, most importantly, its values — will be preserved and enhanced by the change
• Communicate a lot. Even if you have already done so, do it again; it is difficult to communicate too much

"Let people know what will not change" is the single most under-used piece of advice here. In the absence of information, people assume everything is at risk, and the anxiety generated is often far larger than the actual change warrants.

Phase 2: The neutral zone

This in-between time is often difficult, strange, stressful and disorientating for those affected — the old is gone but the new is not fully operational. It is when the critical psychological realignments and repatternings take place.

Think of the neutral zone as a journey from one place to another. The implications:

• Encourage people to use this as a period to pause and reflect on what matters to them
• Invite people to try out new approaches to work and to learn from them
• Notice and record adaptations made during a change — some may be useful in the long term
• Help people connect more intentionally with other people and other teams
• Social events, perhaps including family or friends, can help avoid feelings of isolation
• Set up easily accessible temporary feedback and communication systems. You will learn from the experiences of those going through the change, and they will feel supported

The neutral zone is also where temporary systems and processes belong. Providing an interim way of working while the new one beds in is a neutral-zone action, and it is what distinguishes a supported transition from an abandoned one.

Phase 3: New beginnings

Here people develop the new identity, experience the new energy and discover the new sense of purpose that make the change begin to work.

Making a new beginning is a risky time — it means committing to a new kind of future. Bridges recommends four things that encourage such commitment. People need:

Bridges also advises that making new beginnings into a reality requires:

• Leaders must be consistent in their behaviour and messaging
• Communicate early successes to encourage and reassure people
• Celebrate key milestones along the change journey — especially journey's end

Matching actions to phases

The exam commonly gives an action and asks which phase it suits. The reliable test:

Providing temporary systems and processes to follow is a neutral-zone action; letting people know what will not change is an endings action; celebrating key milestones is a new-beginnings action.