By Ed Sparkes, Annette Frem, Sam Williams, Emily Agg and Julia Orawiec.
Any organisational change brings complexity, but managing “negative” transition where jobs, identity or a sense of belonging are at stake brings additional challenge. Whilst the case for change might be clear, early choices on how change is managed can reverberate for many years.
Transformations involving restructures, role changes, cost reductions, or shifts in working patterns can trigger understandable emotional reactions. Fear, frustration, and anxiety are common responses, with resistance often grounded in a fear of loss rather than unwillingness to adapt. If these human dynamics are not properly anticipated or managed, organisations face risks far beyond delayed timelines or missed programme outcomes.
The risks organisations face when the emotional impact is overlooked
Ignoring how people feel during change exposes organisations to several predictable and preventable risks. These challenges can significantly undermine the success of any transformation if they are not handled intentionally.
Decline in leadership credibility
When leaders fail to acknowledge or respond to the emotional reality of change, trust erodes. Employees lose confidence in leadership decisions and in the transformation itself. This credibility gap is difficult to repair once it widens.
Legal and reputational exposure
High stakes change can lead to formal challenges, union escalation, or scrutiny from external stakeholders. Missteps in communication or fairness increase the risk of grievances or reputational damage that extends beyond the immediate change.
Workforce disengagement
Poorly managed change can reduce productivity, diminish customer service quality, and drive attrition, including among critical talent. Disengagement deepens when people feel decisions are made about them rather than with them.
Deterioration of mental health and wellbeing
When change feels personal, stress and uncertainty rise. This can lead to increased short and longterm sickness absence and a greater need for internal or external mental health support. The emotional cost is significant for both individuals and organisations.
Addressing the risks and reducing the personal impact
To succeed in navigating tough change when it feels personal, organisations need more than solid programme management – they need thoughtful, human-centred design. Transformation teams have a crucial role in shaping the experience and ensuring people feel supported.
Teams that excel at this work follow three core principles:
1. Prepare and support leaders and managers
Leaders and line managers are often the first point of contact for those affected by change. If they are unprepared, inconsistent, or unsupported, risk escalates quickly.
Supporting them effectively means:
- Imparting clarity of intent and honest context
- Offering practical guidance rather than generic slide decks
- Building confidence to handle emotional conversations
- Providing a space to problem solve as a leadership community
- Allowing time to process their own concerns before engaging others
When leaders are well equipped, communication becomes more consistent, uncertainty is addressed more calmly, and employees feel seen rather than dismissed. This strengthens trust and reduces fear during difficult transitions.
In practice: Don’t treat your leaders as “another group I need to notify” but actively involve them by explaining the challenge, outlining what needs to be done, clarifying what is expected of them (no sugarcoating) and providing a forum for them to input ideas and feedback you may not have considered.
2. Stay tuned in and intentional
When change carries a personal impact, people pay close attention to every detail. They notice not only what is said, but who says it, how it is said, and when it is said. Without timely and meaningful information, uncertainty fills the gaps and rumours spread fast.
Transformation teams should be deliberate about:
- The timing, cadence, tone and channels used
- Who delivers each message
- How messages are framed emotionally
- The wider business context through which messages will be interpreted
- Creating twoway feedback loops to monitor how communications land
When communication is intentional and empathetic, people feel informed rather than left behind. This supports emotional resilience and helps employees navigate uncertainty with greater confidence.
In practice: Expect any information you share to be rigorously analysed and dissected, and any information you don’t share to be loudly demanded. Don’t feel forced to share sensitive content too early. But also avoid a sense of vacuum or drift by providing a clear timeline of what will be shared and when.
3. Build capability to navigate ambiguity and change
People are often surprised by their own emotional response to change. Many lack a framework for understanding what they are experiencing or the tools to process it.
Transformations are more successful when organisations equip employees with:
- A shared understanding of common and totally normal stages and reactions to change
- Real examples of how similar change has been successfully applied elsewhere
- Practical tools to manage uncertainty and support wellbeing
- A motivating yet respectful future vision to aspire to
- Language that makes it easier to talk about how they feel
Traditional and modern change frameworks such as Kübler–Ross’ Change Curve, Bridges’ Transition Model or Little’s Lean Change Management will not remove the difficulty or emotion, but will help individuals feel more in control and less overwhelmed. Care must be taken, however, to avoid “explaining away” human reactions in scientific terms, which rarely lands well.
In practice: Upskill the organisation in recognising and normalising emotional reactions in others and themselves. Use employee support or advocacy mechanisms to provide support but hold firm on the case for change. Do not promise that “this will all be over soon”. Instead develop and embed a continuous improvement mindset through formal and informal mechanisms.
Change feels less tough when emotions are intentionally managed
Successful transformation is not only about new structures, systems, or savings.
It is about people and the experience they have throughout the journey. When change is handled with empathy, clarity, and intention, individuals feel supported even in challenging moments.
Supporting your organisation through tough times
None of this is easy, and the emotional burden on those responsible for driving the change is often overlooked. If you are looking for guidance on preparing an effective change approach, building organisational change capability or implementing tough change, we would be glad to help. Complete the form below to begin the conversation.
