How to Mitigate Change Fatigue in Challenging Times

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Coping with organizational change following a defined event is one thing. We know that a new leader, layoffs, or return-to-office mandates can lead to stress, fear, and change resistance.

Coping with organizational change following a defined event is one thing. We know that a new leader, layoffs, or return-to-office mandates can lead to stress, fear, and change resistance.

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However, persistent, continuous change, even for those who embrace it, can cause a dispiriting, unsettling, and frustrating feeling akin to being a hamster in a wheel.

However, persistent, continuous change, even for those who embrace it, can cause a dispiriting, unsettling, and frustrating feeling akin to being a hamster in a wheel.

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As the volume, complexity, and rate of change increase, our ability to adapt becomes more challenging.

As the volume, complexity, and rate of change increase, our ability to adapt becomes more challenging.

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With engagement levels at historical lows and HR stress levels at all-time highs (one Sage report found that 95 percent of HR leaders find working in HR to be overwhelming due to excessive workload and stress), winging it doesn’t bode well for engagement, retention, or business.

With engagement levels at historical lows and HR stress levels at all-time highs (one Sage report found that 95 percent of HR leaders find working in HR to be overwhelming due to excessive workload and stress), winging it doesn’t bode well for engagement, retention, or business.

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You can predict who’ll struggle with change and how long it’ll take, but can your (already-stressed-out) leaders handle the rising change fatigue?

You can predict who’ll struggle with change and how long it’ll take, but can your (already-stressed-out) leaders handle the rising change fatigue?

What’s your organizational change fatigue strategy?

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We’ve moved into an era where a change fatigue strategy should be an inherent part of any change plan.

We’ve moved into an era where a change fatigue strategy should be an inherent part of any change plan.

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In 2024, Gartner suggested that a mere 8 percent of HR leaders have a confident plan to manage change fatigue. As a pan-industry barometer, it’s alarmingly low.

In 2024, Gartner suggested that a mere 8 percent of HR leaders have a confident plan to manage change fatigue. As a pan-industry barometer, it’s alarmingly low.

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In our view, there’s an urgent need to understand people better and reduce the likelihood of stress-related absence and burnout of valued team members.

In our view, there’s an urgent need to understand people better and reduce the likelihood of stress-related absence and burnout of valued team members.

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As L&D professionals, it makes sense to increase our awareness of how people react to change and pay close attention to our interpersonal skills.

As L&D professionals, it makes sense to increase our awareness of how people react to change and pay close attention to our interpersonal skills.

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After all, emotions during change are complex, dynamic, contextual, and personal; therefore, no two people react in the same way.

After all, emotions during change are complex, dynamic, contextual, and personal; therefore, no two people react in the same way.

How do you vs. your colleagues respond to change?

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Change readiness needs to be people-centric, not process-centric, because change triggers different responses shaped by each person’s perspectives and experiences.

Change readiness needs to be people-centric, not process-centric, because change triggers different responses shaped by each person’s perspectives and experiences.

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Understanding these perspectives is key. In people who tend to resist many types of workplace change, it’s usually because of:

Understanding these perspectives is key. In people who tend to resist many types of workplace change, it’s usually because of:

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  Self-interest: We fear the effect that change will have on us.

  Self-interest: We fear the effect that change will have on us.

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  Lack of trust: We fear that management doesn’t have our best interests at heart.

  Lack of trust: We fear that management doesn’t have our best interests at heart.

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  Different opinions: We believe that change initiators aren’t resolving a problem in the right way.

  Different opinions: We believe that change initiators aren’t resolving a problem in the right way.

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  Low tolerance: We feel we can’t change or handle a transition.

  Low tolerance: We feel we can’t change or handle a transition.

Practical strategies to mitigate change fatigue

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1. Leverage empathy…and communicate! Empathetic leadership is about open conversation and building trust and psychological safety. It helps people share how changes affect them and their ability to do their best. When we listen to and respect others’ concerns, and we create spaces to communicate safely about the changes (instead of bemoaning their existence), we take the first step toward a growth and adaptability mindset.

1. Leverage empathy…and communicate! Empathetic leadership is about open conversation and building trust and psychological safety. It helps people share how changes affect them and their ability to do their best. When we listen to and respect others’ concerns, and we create spaces to communicate safely about the changes (instead of bemoaning their existence), we take the first step toward a growth and adaptability mindset.

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2. Understand individual preferences (and attitudes to change). Different things mentally drain different personality types. A more introverted colleague might need quiet time alone to process the nuances of incoming changes and decide how they can best respond. More extraverted employees may crave collaborative opportunities to discuss how the changes will affect different parts of the team.

2. Understand individual preferences (and attitudes to change). Different things mentally drain different personality types. A more introverted colleague might need quiet time alone to process the nuances of incoming changes and decide how they can best respond. More extraverted employees may crave collaborative opportunities to discuss how the changes will affect different parts of the team.

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There’s no right or wrong here. It’s about respecting differences and leaning into your own self-awareness as a manager to choose how to respond.

There’s no right or wrong here. It’s about respecting differences and leaning into your own self-awareness as a manager to choose how to respond.

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3. Identify change ambassadors. These employees are your change advocates. Give them a platform and ensure they participate in forums about the changes, so their voices are heard. Encourage them to share and celebrate progress and positive outcomes related to each new change.

3. Identify change ambassadors. These employees are your change advocates. Give them a platform and ensure they participate in forums about the changes, so their voices are heard. Encourage them to share and celebrate progress and positive outcomes related to each new change.

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4. Investing in resilience. Employees often feel unprepared to handle continuous, forced change. As an L&D professional, it’s essential to make the case for strategic investment in resilience training, along with the necessary resources and tools, to help individuals adapt and thrive in a changing environment. Without this support, managers will face heavier workloads as they struggle to help teams implement ongoing changes effectively.

4. Investing in resilience. Employees often feel unprepared to handle continuous, forced change. As an L&D professional, it’s essential to make the case for strategic investment in resilience training, along with the necessary resources and tools, to help individuals adapt and thrive in a changing environment. Without this support, managers will face heavier workloads as they struggle to help teams implement ongoing changes effectively.

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5. Stagger the changes where possible. Timing is everything. If possible, introduce multiple changes in measured doses. Make the case upwards for giving employees a chance to acclimate. It’ll create fewer interruptions to achieving team goals and ideally create more prepared, productive employees.

5. Stagger the changes where possible. Timing is everything. If possible, introduce multiple changes in measured doses. Make the case upwards for giving employees a chance to acclimate. It’ll create fewer interruptions to achieving team goals and ideally create more prepared, productive employees.

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By taking a self-aware and people-centric approach to change, your organization can transform resistance into readiness and create lasting progress.

By taking a self-aware and people-centric approach to change, your organization can transform resistance into readiness and create lasting progress.