When understanding change is no longer enough: how to truly support the transition

Within organisations, change management has gradually become structured around models that are now considered essential. Among them, that of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross holds a central place. It has made it possible to better understand human reactions to transformation and has given managers valuable reference points for supporting their teams.

But understanding the stages of change is not always enough to know how to move through them. It is in this space that William Bridges' model offers complementary insight, and opens up a particularly practical path for managers.

Kübler-Ross: a structuring model for understanding the stages of change

The Kübler-Ross model, initially developed in the context of grief, has been widely adopted in the business world to describe employees' reactions to a transformation.

Four stages are generally identified: denial, resistance, exploration and commitment.

In the denial phase, employees struggle to believe that the change will really take place. They hope for a return to the way things were, remain attached to their familiar reference points and may appear frozen. Then comes resistance: the change is acknowledged, but contested. Criticism emerges, tensions rise, and teams sometimes "dig in their heels". Gradually, a phase of exploration sets in. Employees begin to test, experiment and observe. The first successes appear, but so do the first difficulties. Finally, commitment marks ownership: roles become clearer, practices stabilise and teams embrace the new way of working.

This model is now an essential foundation. It enables managers to identify where their teams stand and to anticipate reactions.

But it raises an essential question: how, in concrete terms, can employees be moved from one stage to the next?

Bridges: a three-phase approach to change rethought as a process of transition

William Bridges' model offers a different answer to this question. Where Kübler-Ross describes reactions, Bridges focuses on the process of transition, that is, the psychological journey that makes it possible to move from one state to another.

He identifies three phases:

The first is the ending. It corresponds to everything individuals have to let go of: habits, practices, reference points, and sometimes part of their professional identity.

The second is the neutral zone. This is an intermediate phase, often uncomfortable, marked by uncertainty. The old reference points no longer work, and the new ones are not yet settled.

Finally, the new beginning corresponds to renewed ownership. Employees rediscover meaning, become engaged and rebuild their ways of working.

Two complementary and powerful models

Rather than setting these two models against each other, combining them offers a particularly powerful reading for organisations.

The Kübler-Ross model identifies where employees stand in their experience of change, while the Bridges model makes it possible to understand what needs to be put in place to help them progress.

From this perspective, Bridges' three phases can be used as transitional measures between the stages of change.

The ending phase comes into play when employees are in denial or resistance. The challenge is then to raise awareness of what is coming to an end. This means clearly naming the changes, spelling out what is disappearing, but also acknowledging the value of the former way of working. Without this work, teams remain stuck in a more or less visible opposition.

The neutral zone corresponds to the exploration phase. It is a space for trial, where employees experiment with new practices. It is a delicate phase, marked by uncertainty, where the aim is to defuse fears and open the way to curiosity, without forcing commitment. It requires a reassuring framework, spaces for testing and close support.

Finally, the new beginning makes it possible to consolidate commitment. The aim is to support ownership, structure the new reference points and embed behaviours. This comes about through training, recognition of progress and the formalisation of practices.

In this way, without turning the Bridges model into a four-stage grid, it becomes an operational tool for supporting the transitions between the stages described by Kübler-Ross.

From the model to managerial practice

In the reality of organisations, the challenges associated with these stages are very concrete. In the early phases, managers must bring their teams out of denial, communicate clearly and confirm that there is no going back. When resistance sets in, the challenge becomes one of maintaining cohesion, managing tensions and limiting the impact on performance. The exploration phase, for its part, requires involving employees, supporting their attempts and fostering resilience in the face of early setbacks. Finally, in the commitment phase, the aim is to establish a new rhythm, recognise contributions and consolidate the gains.

These challenges clearly show that change management cannot be reduced to top-down communication or a technical rollout. It rests on the ability to adapt one's managerial stance to each stage.

Training managers in transition management

It is precisely on this point that the contribution of Valeur Plus lies. We believe that change management can only be effective if managers are equipped to understand and support human dynamics. This is why change management is a module in its own right within our management training programmes.

Beyond the theoretical models, the aim is to enable managers to develop a nuanced reading of situations: identifying the stages their teams are going through, understanding the associated challenges, and drawing on the appropriate levers to facilitate the transition.

In this approach, the combination of Kübler-Ross and Bridges becomes a particularly powerful teaching tool. It makes it possible to move from an understanding of reactions to a capacity for concrete action.

Training managers thus means giving them the means to turn situations of deadlock into dynamics of progress.

Reconciling change and the human experience

At a time when transformations are intensifying, the ability to support transitions is becoming a strategic challenge. The organisations that succeed are not those that avoid resistance. They are those that know how to read it, understand it and support it.

The Kübler-Ross model reminds us that change is an emotional experience. The Bridges model shows that it is a process of passage. Between the two, a strong conviction takes shape: the success of change rests on the ability to organise transitions.

And it is precisely in this ability to bridge understanding and action that the sustainable transformation of organisations is built today.

Produced by Romain Moracchini, consultant & trainer