Change shakes us, stretches us, and ultimately reshapes us. From the earthquake to the summit, every phase, denial, frustration, acceptance, is part of the climb. The key is knowing where you are on the curve… and that it won’t stay that way forever.
Many years ago, when I went through a huge shock in my own life, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s book “On Death and Dying” was like a life buoy.She introduced the world to the stages of grief, and what struck me was how clearly those stages described the emotional rollercoaster of letting go of what once was and facing something new. Since then, I’ve learned that the curve she described is not only about grief. It also shows up every time we face change, in business, in leadership, in our personal lives.
To make it more relatable when I work with teams, I sometimes use lighter, more visual names for the stages:
Shock → The Earthquake
Everything feels a bit wobbly. We ask ourselves: “Wait, wha tjust happened?” This is the moment when stability is shaken and the groundbeneath us feels uncertain.
Denial →The Ostrich Phase
We bury our heads in the sand, hoping the change will pass us by. It feels safer to believe things will stay the same, even when deep down weknow they won’t.
Frustration → The Volcano
This is when emotions bubble up. There may be anger, pushback, or simply a flood of questions and doubts. Energy is high, but itoften feels scattered and
overwhelming.
Depression → The Swamp
Here, momentum sinks. Motivation drops, energy feels low, and progress can feel hard, and we might even enjoy sitting in the mud! Thisis the stage that tests resilience the most.
Experiment → The Sandbox
We begin to test new ideas, new processes, and new ways of working. It’s a time of curiosity and trial, where not everything works out,but learning starts to
happen. And we think, just maybe…
Decision → The Bridge
At this point, we make the choice to cross over. We start to commit to the new reality and see how it might actually work in our favour.
Integration → The Summit
This is where the change becomes the new normal. We look back and realise how far we’ve come. What once felt disruptive now feels like part of the landscape.
The important truth is this: people move through these phases differently. Some sprint through, others circle back, and some may sit in the swamp longer than they’d like. As leaders, our role is to recognise where people are, and help them find their footing until they’re ready to take the next step.
But, of course, as life goes, this is not linear.Where do you find yourself on the curve right now?
