As we move through change, our focus will be on the past while experiencing denial, anger, and sadness. Our focus changes to the future when we move into bargaining and acceptance. Confidence, morale, and effectiveness can be negatively impacted by change.
An example from everyday life:
You get into your car and it doesn’t start, the first thing you do is turn the key or push the button again.
- Next thing you do is get angry – swear, hit the steering wheel, push the button with vengeance! (Anger)
- Then we move to sadness, slump in the seat, ask why me? Why now? Why, why, why? (Sadness)
- Start thinking about what we are going to do next, do I need to get the kids taken to school, get a lift to wherever I was going? Get the car collected? Re-plan the day, we get out of the car. (Negotiation)
- Later in the day we will reach a point of acceptance. May get a bill for the car, may choose to change to a more reliable car, we get on with the day. Accepting the situation and working well with it (Acceptance)
