cameron and green making-sense-of-change-management

Individual changeideas about restructuring. Whatever the nature of this foreign element, ithas an effect.A period of chaos ensues. Typically this is internal chaos. The worlditself may continue to function but the individual’s own perceived worldmight be turned upside down, or inside out. He or she may be in a stateof disbelief – denial or emotional numbness – at first, not knowing whatto think or feel or how to act. Individuals may resist the notion that thingsare going to be different. Indeed they may actually try to redouble theirefforts to ensure that the status quo continues as long as possible, even tothe extent of sabotaging the new ideas that are forthcoming. Theirsupport networks, which before had seemed so solid, might now not betrusted to help and support the individual. They may not know who totrust or where to go for help.During this period of chaos, we see elements of anger and disorganizationpermeating the individual’s world. Feelings of dread, panic anddespair are followed by periods of apathy and a sense of pointlessness. Atmoments like this it may well seem like St John of the Cross’s Dark Nightof the Soul (2003) when all hope has vanished.But it is often when things have reached their very worst that fromsomewhere – usually from within the very depths of the person – thegerm of an idea or an insight occurs. In terms of the Kubler-Ross modelthe individual is coming to terms with the reality of the situation andexperiencing acknowledgement and acceptance. He or she has seen thelight, or at least a glimmer of hope. An immense amount of work may stillneed to be done, but the individual has generated this transforming idea,which spreads some light on to the situation, and perhaps shows him orher a way out of the predicament.Once this transforming idea has taken root, the individual can beginthe journey of integration. Thus this period of integration requires thenew world order to be assimilated into the individual’s own world.Imagine a restructuring has taken place at your place of work. You havegone through many a sleepless night worrying what job you may end upin, or whether you will have a role at the end of the change. The jobs onoffer do not appeal at all to you at first (‘Why didn’t they ask me for myviews when they formulated the new roles?’ ‘If they think I’m applyingfor that they have another think coming!’). However as the chief executive’sthinking is made clearer through better communications, yougrudgingly accept that perhaps he did have a point in addressing the37