Now that we’ve looked at each phase of the Kubler-Ross Change Curve in detail, let’s apply it to a real life situation. It’s 8:20 AM and you’re already late for work, but it’s your turn to bring the Friday bagels for your team. They’re expecting it. So you turn left instead of right, calculating in your … Read more
The final two phases in the Kubler-Ross Change Curve are Experiment and Decision. If you look at the curve, you’ll notice these two phases are on the upswing, following the lowest point, the Depression phase, or Moment of Resignation. The Experiment phase is the initial engagement with the change. You don’t have their buy-in yet, … Read more
Change is inevitable, and for creatures of habit, change is hard. Yet, it’s also necessary. No one deals with all changes well, but there comes a moment in every change cycle when we must make a choice: accept the change or walk away. We call this the “Moment of Resignation.” The Moment of Resignation comes … Read more
The first reaction on the Kubler-Ross Change Curve is Denial. This piece is characterized by disbelief and evidence the change isn’t true. Comments from people in this phase can include: “There must be a mistake.” “That’s not possible.” “Are you sure you understood correctly, because that doesn’t seem right.” “No way. This can’t be happening.” Oftentimes, … Read more
We are creatures of habit, yet we experience change in every facet of our lives. Some of these changes are good, some aren’t, but regardless of where the changes fall on the spectrum, they all require a mental shift. In her ground-breaking book Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross discusses the stages of grief. She identified five non-linear … Read more
Here’s an idea for a team-building activity, with an added bonus— It can start the conversation about how important and welcome performance feedback is. First, ahead of time, ask each participant to come prepared with examples of two bits of feedback they’ve received in their career: One item that seemed harsh at the time, but … Read more
Angela Franklin, the President of Des Moines University, spoke at 90 Ideas back in September, and urged leaders to acknowledge the power that doubt and fear can have over a team. The techniques she recommends are based in part on “The Butler Way.” The Butler Way is the idea that selflessness and commitment to the … Read more
People who are driven tend to urge others to move quickly and can be annoyed when people lack a sense of urgency. The alternative is to remain “low-key” when it’s time to execute. On business teams, this is common when the leader/manager errs on the side of staying hands-off, saying things like, “I don’t like … Read more
People who are encouraging tend to inspire others to believe in the importance of their work. When aligning a team, an aloof or matter-of-fact approach can be the opposite of what you need. I was part of a student activities group in college led by a staff person named Ben. Ben would never begin conversations with … Read more
People who are expressive tend to be upbeat and communicate in an open and lively manner. In a previous life, I was a band director. If you’ve ever been involved in any fall school activity in a Midwestern high school, you know that “Senior Night” is a big night at the football game, especially for … Read more