Change is an external event that happens outside of people, while transition is the internal process of responding to change. Transition involves three stages: letting go of the familiar past, entering a neutral zone of uncertainty between the past and future, and starting something new. People move through the three stages of transition at different paces and not always sequentially in response to change events.

1. A Beginning Model of
Individual Change
5.14.2015
Based on information by William Bridges

2. 2
• Change is an event
• It happens outside of us
• Usually tangible & concrete
CHANGE
People don’t struggle with change itself as much as the transition
TRANSITION
Change & Transition
• Transition is our internal process
as we respond to the event.
• Usually intangible & different for
each individual
Source: Bridges “ Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change”

3. 3
Transition: A “simple” three-stage process
Letting go of
something familiar &
dependable
Plunging into something
new and unfamiliar;
“Hanging in mid-air”
without orientation to
the past or future
FuturePast
People move through this process at different speeds and not always sequentially
 Endings New Beginnings
 Neutral Zone
Source: Bridges “ Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change”