Leading change
5 steps to beat change fatigue
5 steps to beat change fatigue
5 minutes
Change fatigue happens when people feel mentally and physically drained by constant organisational changes. It leaves them feeling flat, unmotivated, and disconnected. It can show up as apathy, frustration, exhaustion or simply switching off, significantly impacting your team’s energy and willingness to fully embrace change.
Gartner’s 2020 research found that change fatigue is now more common than ever. In fact, our ability to handle change has dropped to just half of what it was before the pandemic.
So, what can you do about it? How can you support your team through it?
1
Take stock of how you feel right now
A leader is not only in tune with how their team feels, but also with themselves.
Feeling flat or unmotivated? Take time to rest and recharge. Even small moments of self-care can help you rebuild energy before the next change. For example, try walking for at least 10 minutes when you finish work each day.
Feeling flat or unmotivated? Take time to rest and recharge. Even small moments of self-care can help you rebuild energy before the next change. For example, try walking for at least 10 minutes when you finish work each day.
2
Measure the change fatigue in your team
Regularly assess how your team is coping. Look for signs of disengagement, frustration, or exhaustion and address them early. Which team members do you believe are experiencing this right now?
3
Talk about it
Start conversations about change fatigue. Offer resources like emotional support or Employee Assistance Plans (EAP) to help manage stress, talk about scheduling time for self care to rest and recharge such as the 10 minute walk, or even encourage conversation by actively seeking their feedback as participants experiencing change.
4
Communicate, communicate…and then communicate more!
Keep your team in the loop with regular, transparent updates. Keep repeating the message and asking people how they're progressing through it. By creating opportunities for two-way dialogue, everyone feels heard and acknowledged.
5
Give your team time, space, and most important of all, patience
Change fatigue can make adaptation challenging, as it often feels personally costly.
Your team members' pace in adapting will be different because of differences in technical skill, varying interpersonal relationships, and changes in culture. Create a safe space for mistakes, learning, and mutual support. Often, giving your team time and patience is the best way to help them adapt.
Your team members' pace in adapting will be different because of differences in technical skill, varying interpersonal relationships, and changes in culture. Create a safe space for mistakes, learning, and mutual support. Often, giving your team time and patience is the best way to help them adapt.
Small, consistent actions can make a big difference in supporting yourself and your team suffering from change fatigue.
Sources
Gartner. (2020, October 14). Gartner cautions HR leaders that the risk of change fatigue among employees has doubled in 2020. Gartner Newsroom. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-10-14-gartner-cautions-hr-leaders-that-the-risk-of-change-fatigue-among-employees-has-doubled-in-2020-this-year
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Hellomonday