What emotions are you experiencing today? How do they differ from those that you experienced a few months or a few weeks ago and……. what about today? You certainly wouldn’t be alone if your response was many and varied. The most profound change was visited upon us in 2020… change that we never planned for, never anticipated and had no control over. It is understandable that our emotional states may feel like a roller-coaster… changeable and fluid.
As a leader have you been aware of the changing nature of your emotions over the past few months? How have your emotions impacted you, your family, friends and your team at work? And are you aware of the differing emotional states of your team members?
Change provokes and evokes our inner emotions…. one person will react to change with excitement, enthusiasm and expectation while another will retreat, become anxious or fearful. The Kubler Ross model of grief speaks of five key emotional stages or states experienced after losing a loved one (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance). These emotional states are not linear but rather oscillate and are often unpredictable.
Naturally, loss is a form of pulpable change.
During this time of global uncertainty, it is helpful as leaders to reflect upon the William Bridges Transitions Model which explains what happens during significant organisational change. Bridges describes three distinct phases when organisations acquire, merge, restructure etc ….. The Ending, The Neutral Zone and The New Beginning.
The Ending means that people need to let go of what was and to possibly say goodbye to people and recognize that certain structures and processes will never be the same.
The Neutral Zone is that liminal space where we have left something behind but have not yet started something new or different. In this phase we may experience a sea of emotions as we mourn ‘what was’ but are not yet aware of or accepting of what will happen in the future. The degree to which people understand and accept change will influence how long they spend in this Neutral Zone.
In 2020 it would be reasonable to replace the words Neutral Zone with our current reality of dealing with the COVID-19!
The New Beginning is a time of implementing the change… and embracing the new future.
[William Bridges Model of Transition]
The five stages of the Kubler Ross model, together with other emotional states can be comfortably overlayed into the three phases of Bridges Model of Transition (e.g. Denial and Anger would typically occur in Ending, alongside other emotions).
What does this mean for you as you acknowledge your own emotions, whilst being aware of and supporting the emotions of your team members?
Firstly, reflect on and capture your changing emotions during the Ending (i.e. as you grasped the severity of COVID-19), The Neutral Zone (the height of the impact of restrictions and self-isolation) and as you consider the New Beginning (or what the media sometimes refer to as the new normal).
How did you show up for your team during these moments of momentous change and flux? How present were you when interacting with them? What have you learned about yourself during this time? What will you stop and what will you start?
Secondly, share your reflections of your emotional states with your team and the challenges you experienced in this changed environment. Be prepared to be vulnerable…. seek their support in appropriate areas which will help you to better lead them.
Thirdly, utilizing the Bridges Model, ask your team to visually plot their emotions; with special emphasis on what emotions rise as they think about The Beginning or the new normal. What emotions are evoked when they think of the future?
Communication and contextualisation are everything so spending time explaining why such an exercise would be helpful to each person, you and the team will pay dividends.
Through this exercise you have a unique opportunity to learn more about the differing emotions of your people and… the nature of the support each of them needs and wants from you. Equally, as they share their reflections, they will learn more about each other. Through this experience your emotional intelligence will likely be enriched as will trust within the team.
Contact Peoplemax should you wish to:
· Initiate the above exercise with your team but would appreciate an external facilitator or
· Discuss how best to lead your people change and transition.
· Discuss how we might tailor our Resilience at Work or other options to support your team
Stay safe
Peter Cheel
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