Guide
The change curve: what it tells you, and what to do at each stage
The short answer: The change curve describes the emotions people typically feel during change: shock and denial, frustration, a dip in energy and confidence, then experimenting and committing to the new way. It grew from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's work on grief. People don't move through it in order or on a schedule, so use it to recognise feelings, not to predict them.
Why change feels the way it does
Announce a change and you'll see the same pattern almost every time. First, shock or disbelief. Then doubt, frustration, sometimes anger. A dip, where energy and confidence fall. Then, slowly, people start to experiment, make decisions and find their feet in the new way.
That pattern is what people mean by the change curve. It's one of the most widely used pictures in change management, and for good reason: it helps people recognise that what they're feeling is normal.
Where the change curve comes from
The change curve grew out of the work of psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross. Her 1969 book On Death and Dying described how people respond to grief and loss. She later agreed to her work being applied to the workplace, after business leaders at her workshops told her it matched what happened when their companies reorganised.1
The Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation's version, the Kübler-Ross Change Curve®, describes seven areas of experience: shock, denial, frustration, depression, experiment, decision and integration.1 Many organisations use simpler versions with four or five stages.
The most important thing to know: it isn't a timetable
The curve is often drawn as a neat line that everyone travels along in order. That's not how it works, and the Kübler-Ross Foundation is clear about it. The stages are not steps to complete. People skip some, feel several at once and come back to others. The curve is a way of recognising what someone is going through, not of predicting what they'll do next.1
That matters, because the most common misuse of the change curve is to treat it as a schedule: “they should be through the anger stage by now”. People don't move through change on your project plan.
It also means quiet isn't the same as acceptance. Someone who has stopped objecting may have accepted the change. Or they may simply have given up saying what they think.
What the curve asks of a leader
The curve describes what people feel. Your job isn't to push people along it. It's to help them move through it, at their own pace, by having the right conversation at the right moment.
| What you're seeing | What's often underneath | The conversation that helps |
|---|---|---|
| Shock, disbelief, “this won't affect us” | People don't yet know what the change means for them | What does this mean for me? |
| Frustration, pushback, cynicism | Something valued is being lost, and nobody has said so | What are we letting go of? |
| The dip: low energy, doubt, people going quiet | Concerns that aren't being said out loud | What's really in the way? |
| First signs of experimenting | Uncertainty about whether it's safe to try | What will we try first? |
| Decisions, new habits, renewed energy | The new way needs protecting when it gets hard | How do we keep going? |
And before any of it, a team needs a shared picture of where the change is heading: where are we really going?
How to use the change curve with your team
Name it early. Before the change lands, tell people that most of us go through a dip in confidence during change, and that it's normal. Saying it in advance makes it much easier to talk about when it happens.
Ask, don't assume. Instead of placing people on the curve yourself, ask: “How are you finding this change right now?” Listen for the feeling underneath the answer.
Expect people to be in different places. The same announcement will put one person straight into experimenting and another into frustration. A one-size-fits-all update will miss most of the team.
Watch for the quiet ones. The dip is where people most often withdraw. Make it easy for them to say what's in the way, for example by collecting concerns on cards without names.
Start with yourself. Leaders go through the curve too, often earlier than their teams, because they heard about the change first. By the time you announce it, you may have reached acceptance while your team is still in shock. Remember how that first felt.
The change curve and the Bridges Transition Model
The change curve focuses on emotions. William Bridges' transition model focuses on what people need to let go of and take on: endings, the neutral zone and new beginnings. They fit together well. The curve tells you what people are feeling; Bridges tells you what they're working through. You can read more in our guide to the Bridges Transition Model.
See where your team is
The Change Readiness Check takes five minutes. It scores your team on the six conversations of change and shows which one to have first.
Questions people ask
What are the stages of the change curve?
Versions vary. The Kübler-Ross Foundation describes seven areas of experience: shock, denial, frustration, depression, experiment, decision and integration. Many organisations use simpler four or five stage versions.
Is the change curve linear?
No. People skip stages, feel several at once and return to earlier ones. The curve helps you recognise what someone is going through; it doesn't predict what they'll do next.
How do you use the change curve at work?
Name it before the change lands, ask people how they're finding it rather than placing them on the curve yourself, expect people to be in different places, and pay attention to the ones who go quiet.
Sources
- Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation, The Kübler-Ross Change Curve. The Kübler-Ross Change Curve® is a registered trademark of the Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Family Limited Partnership.