Organisational change can feel like being forced through a mincing machine: disorienting, uncomfortable and painful. I've witnessed firsthand how restructuring, redundancies, culture shifts and digital transformations can leave even the most resilient professionals feeling adrift.
Read more: Outstanding balance: why HR must learn to be sure-footed on the change curve
When organisations implement transformational changes, they typically focus on structures and systems while overlooking the human experience. It’s important to listen and seek to understand the connections and impact across all levels of a business, from team dynamics to individual experiences.
Surf the waves of change
The reality of modern work is that changes will come faster, and more frequently. The choice we face isn't whether change will happen, but how we'll respond to it. Will we be minced by it, or learn to surf these waves with adaptability and resilience?
Evidence-based strategies can help you maintain equilibrium during waves of change. These include:
Challenge your narratives: Are you telling yourself catastrophic stories? Remember, you're neither a mind reader nor a fortune teller. Question assumptions that worsen your emotional state.
Practice radical self-compassion: Change fatigue is legitimate. As you adapt to new ways of working, remind yourself that no feeling is permanent. Incorporate daily practices that soothe and uplift you.
Cultivate meaningful connections: Connect authentically with colleagues without reinforcing negative narratives.
Read more: How to communicate with a team in times of rapid change
Focus on your circle of influence: While you can't control organisational decisions, you maintain authority over your responses, habits and attitude. Direct your energy toward what you can affect.
Acknowledge progress: End each day with Gail reflection: gratitude, achievement, improvement and learning. Give yourself credit for what you’ve achieved each day; it builds momentum. This simple practice builds psychological resilience through recognised growth.
Leadership during transition
For those guiding teams through change, remember that your own anxiety invisibly communicates to your team. Beyond structural implementation, your most critical role is creating psychological safety.
Acknowledge the grief process: Organisational change involves loss. Create space for people to process these emotions rather than dismissing them.
Maintain transparent communication: Even when you lack complete information, regular updates build trust. “I don't have all the answers yet, but here's what I know,” is far more reassuring than silence.
Remain visible and available: Your presence matters. Physical and emotional availability signal that you're navigating the storm alongside your team.
Model adaptive behaviour: Your response sets the tone. Demonstrate the resilience you hope to see in others.
Recognise effort: Celebrate small wins and adaptation. Recognition reinforces that people still matter within the new structure.
Focusing on today, while acknowledging our capacity to weather previous changes, is the foundation of organisational resilience. By committing to both structural excellence and psychological wellbeing, organisations can transform potentially threatening changes into opportunities for collective growth and renewal.
Read more: Business growth and transformation worries HR
Change is the only constant in any organisation. It may feel uncomfortable now, but it's also a sign that growth is happening.
Remember, keep your eyes on today, and remind yourself of all the changes you’ve survived in the past.
By Lindsey Thompson, a talent acquisition consultant, coach and facilitator at LTW Coaching, part of Wishfish Coaching and Development
