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Transition phase

Typical actions by change managers

Implications for digital business implementation

1   Shock/

awareness

Create a climate of receptivity to change.

Announcement sufficiently in advance in 

involving senior managers.

 Pre-  announcement and involvement are readily 

practicable for digital business. Announcement and 

ownership by a senior manager is important.

2 Denial

Diagnosis of the reason for denial is 

important. Gently support the staff through 

denial.

Repeat message of reason for change and 

justify. Find ways to get staff involved in 

change early.

Involvement is typically a requirement of digital 

business projects, so this is usually practical 

for some staff; for others communication of the 

benefits and progress of the project and the 

implications for them should be considered.

3 Depression

Providing support and listening are required 

at this stage rather than ignoring complaints.

This stage can be accommodated through 

prototyping and recording feedback in the live 

system.

4  Letting go

Continued explanation of the benefits of the 

new system without denigrating the past 

approach. Setting targets associated with the 

new system.

Around this stage prototypes of the new system 

will be available which will help with the process 

of letting go since tangible evidence of the 

new system and, hopefully, its benefits will be 

available.

5 Testing

Testing is encouraged by encouraging 

experimentation without blame where 

problems occur.

Testing corresponds to the testing phase of the 

system or adoption of the new system dependent 

on involvement. Positive or negative feedback on 

the new system should be encouraged, discussed 

and acted upon where appropriate.

6 Consolidation

This is facilitated by reviewing performance 

and learning and recognising, rewarding and 

communicating benefits.

Improvements achieved through the system should 

be assessed and communicated.

7   Reflection  and 

learning

This is achieved through structured learning 

about the change through reviews and 

encouraging unstructured learning such as 

feedback about the system.

 Post-  implementation reviews should occur at this 

stage, since this acknowledges that no system 

can be perfect first time and future improvements 

are planned for. The use of a structured system 

to log problems with the system or process can 

also help.

Source: The middle column is based on a summary of the commentary in Hayes (2002).

Table 10.5

Facilitating organisational change through a transition model

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