Change is hard.
However, sometimes it’s simply unavoidable — in life and in organizations. Take remote work: not long ago, many companies dismissed it entirely. Today, they’re drafting work-from-home policies they never thought they’d need.
Change will happen — with or without us. But what makes it last?
First, we have to understand that we have two distinct processes at stake: the change process and the transition.
In the example above, the change process might include acquiring a laptop, having flexible hours to care for children, and setting up proper communication tools, among other things.
The transition, on the other hand, is about accepting and leveraging this new situation. Here, it implies letting go of old habits and finding ways to adapt to the new context, such as going for a walk in the morning, eating at fixed times or anything that suits you.
While change can be imposed, the transition is a personal journey – we all go through it differently. These two processes have separate lifecycles and often involve different actors. Yet, they’re deeply connected: a well-managed change can ease the transition, and a smooth transition makes the change sustainable. For instance, access to the right resources and clear, practical guidelines around flexible work can make a big difference in how people adapt. Conversely, supporting people’s well-being in the new context is crucial to making the change last.
As a change agent, your role is to help people through that transition. Organizations often overlook this, and when they do, change efforts falter. For meaningful and lasting transformation, you need to ensure that everyone completes their transition, not just implement the formal change.
The Takeaway
Lasting changes are the product of two interconnected processes: the change, which tends to be shared across the organization, and the transition, which is unique to each person. Long-term success requires carrying both through.