Anger and Guilt
'People were very angry. The Unions were involved and the case went to tribunal which the institution lost. Three years on, some people are still angry about how it was handled.'
Change creates winners (those who benefit from the change) and losers (those who don't). The winners can often feel guilty and the messengers of the change may also feel guilty. Guilty people usually express their feelings indirectly and may feel uncomfortable around the losers. They may overcompensate ('don't blame me, I didn't plan this change') or they may even blame and/or patronize the losers for not being able to cope with the change well. This can also affect communication - those not involved don't know what to say to those that are, leading to an even greater sense of alienation by those most affected.
Those who don't benefit from the change or those whose friends/colleagues don't benefit can feel resentment, especially towards the hierarchy. They can become angry, blame the organisation and can look for ways to payback (working slowly, leaving work undone, leaking documents, making mistakes or organising opposition).
At this stage:
- Provide opportunities to let off steam.
- Expect open anger from some staff and acknowledge it as a natural reaction.
- Respond with empathy to people's sense of loss
- Start to explain the need for change in more detail but don't expect to be listened to straight away.
- Be careful about the wording of even confidential documents - they may become public.
- Don't expect engagement in new processes or decision-making at this stage.
