The Manager's Pocket Guide to Corporate Culture Change

Step A.Moving to commitment

• What it means:

— Letting the event sink in emotionally and intellectually

• How it works:

— Denial

— Anger

— Bargaining

— Depression

— Acceptance

The Idea

Moving to commitment is the ability to let the event sink in emotionally and intellectually.  In our model for making a healthy response to change, understanding is the first step.  In the unhealthy response, resistance is the first step.  It is important to note that sometimes a person may not be able to move to acceptance right away.  Elizabeth Kübler-Ross, a well-known author on managing change, suggests a five-stage process for accepting loss:

• Denial

• Anger

• Bargaining

• Depression

• Acceptance

These five stages represent a grief and mourning process ...