The document discusses change fatigue and effective change management. It argues that traditional linear change models are ineffective and demotivating, often resulting in resistance to change. Only 30% of change efforts succeed due to unforeseen events and resistance from those affected. Effective change involves understanding psychological impacts, building participation through self-led change, and addressing the social needs of relatedness, autonomy, and fairness rather than using threats. Co-opting self-led change by helping staff achieve their own goals can build receptivity to change.

1. The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian
Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included
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Forestalling Change Fatigue
Olivier Serrat
2013

2. A Modern Satyricon
We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we
were beginning to form up into teams we would be
reorganized. Presumably the plans for our
employment were being changed. I was to learn later
in life that, perhaps because we are so good at
organizing, we tend as a nation to meet any new
situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it
can be for creating the illusion of progress while
producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.
—Charlton Ogburn

3. Is the Chief Cause of Problems
Solutions?
As though it were eternal truth, Charlton Ogburn's 1957
quip on change fatigue has been attributed to sundry sages,
most commonly Gaius Petronius (c. 27–66), a Roman
courtier and satirist. Is it really the case that "Plus ça
change, plus c'est la même chose?" Or, are change and its
management both more complex and simpler than we
conveniently like to think?
"If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended
on the solution, I would spend the first 55 minutes
determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the
proper question, I could solve the problem in less than 5
minutes," Albert Einstein is alleged to have said. Another of
his apocrypha imparts that "Problems cannot be solved at
the same level of awareness that created them."

4. Linear Thinking for Change …
In a technocratic age with a fondness for performance
measurement, aka "doing something," linear thinking for
change management urges proponents to identify, engage,
and implement.
To that intent, actions along a (typical) three-stage change
implementation (or transition) curve depicting take-off (aka
ending, losing, and letting go), potential stalling or
regression (aka the neutral zone), and success or failure—or
somewhere in between (aka the new beginning) are
commonly recommended.

5. … in 10 Unimaginative Steps
Specify the what" and
"why."
Distinguish the "who."
Understand the
barriers, risks, and
issues.
Identify all the levers,
influences, power, and
resources at your
disposal.
Formulate the
campaign.
Detail the "how."
Launch the campaign.
Define clear measures
and establish
measurement systems.
Sustain,
institutionalize, and
embed the change.
Accept that change is a
journey.

6. Only 30% of Change Efforts Succeed
Strategies are frequently overtaken by events or
circumstances: this impacts the goal, focus, direction,
and perhaps even the original need for change. Not to
be outdone, linear thinking for change management
will disclaim: (i) no amount of advance thinking,
planning, and communication guarantees success; (ii)
any change involves a shift of the organization's power
structure; and (iii) even individuals who support
change at the onset can become neutral or even
passive or active resisters over time. Conversely,
change efforts can, through over-management,
reinforce the systemic issues they attempt to address.

7. On Change Fatigue
Change fatigue pervades organizations that cannot
learn for change. Tell-tale signs are (i) senior
management and change sponsors do not attend
progress reviews; (ii) there is reluctance to share,
perhaps even comment on, information about the
change effort; (iii) resources are given over to other
strategic initiatives; (iv) clients, audiences, and
partners demonstrate impatience with the duration of
the change effort or increasingly question its
objectives; and (v) change managers, champions, and
agents are stressed out and the change team considers
leaving.

8. The Social Psychology of Fear
Organizations are
human institutions, not
machines. People must
understand and buy
into the need for
change if any
meaningful progress
toward a desired future
is to be made at all.
Change has psychological
impacts on the human
mind. To the fearful it is
threatening (things may
get worse); to the
hopeful it is encouraging
(things may get better);
to the confident it is
inspiring (the challenge is
to make things better).

9. Of Sticks (and Sometimes Carrots)
In truth, however elaborate they are made out to be, most
change management techniques from the mid-20th century to
date derive from 19th century command-and-control mindsets
that demotivate. The techniques are in point of fact responsible
for poor organizational performance and resistance to change:
they threaten status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and
fairness—five domains of social experience that are deeply
important to the brain, social neuroscience points out.
Consequently, a good number of staff disengage and seek
protection in apathy.

10. Co-opting Self-Led Change
If, instead of forcing personnel to perform this or that
somersault, we found out what they want to do and helped
them achieve it—in so doing building participation and
receptivity to change—we would discover that change takes
little suasion to envisage and implement. Redefining a
relationship requires openness, reciprocity, and, especially, an
appreciation of one's vulnerability: it does not mean one must
do battle with the old.
It is difficult and ultimately pointless to make people do what
they do not want to do: nobody likes to be subjected to change.
But change that we dream up and embrace on our own is
different—that kind of change staff undertake and never tire of.

11. Further Reading
• ADB. 2008. Reading the Future. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/reading-future
• ——. 2008. Culture Theory. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/culture-theory
• ——. 2009. Learning for Change in ADB. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/learning-change-adb
• ——. 2009. Fast and Effective Change Management. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/fast-and-effective-change-
management
• ——. 2009. Distributing Leadership. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/distributing-leadership

12. Further Reading
• ADB. 2009. Understanding Complexity. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/understanding-complexity
• ——. 2010. A Primer on Social Neuroscience. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/primer-social-neuroscience
• ——. 2010. Engaging Staff in the Workplace. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/engaging-staff-workplace
• ——. 2010. Forestalling Change Fatigue. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/forestalling-change-fatigue
• ——. 2012. Future Search Conferencing. Manila.
www.adb.org/publications/future-search-conferencing

13. Video
• ADB. 2012. Distributing Leadership. Manila.
vimeo.com/67185511

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