Have you heard the expression “nothing is constant but change?” The Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote it 2500 years ago, and its relevance remains just as valid today. As humans, we all crave stability and structure in our routines. And this is no different when it comes to our working environment. Organisations are constantly changing, which can massively impact team well-being. Even if organisational changes are positive, they can still have a destabilising effect.
In this article, OpenUp psychologist Emma White breaks down what change looks like in the workplace and shares practical tips on how you can support your team throughout transitions.
5 reasons why change is so difficult
Managing change effectively is a skill you should never underestimate. Handle it poorly, and you risk seeing employees head for the door. But luckily, there are ways to make change more comfortable for everyone.
To navigate change successfully, it’s crucial to understand why so many people struggle with it. Of course, not every team member will feel the same—those with a growth mindset often embrace change—but for many, sudden and unexpected changes can become real roadblocks. So, what’s going on in the brain when change happens? Let’s take a closer look.
Stepping out of our comfort zone feels overwhelming
“Our brains are hardwired to protect us from danger. That’s just how they’ve evolved,” explains Emma. “Outside our comfort zone, we feel a degree of danger. We’re unfamiliar with the situation, we don’t know how to interpret other people’s behaviour and this triggers our danger response.”
You probably already know how this danger response feels: your muscles tighten up, you get nervous, your breathing becomes shallow, and you think, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing’. “This response is trying to lure you back into your comfort zone where everything is safe and familiar, Emma explains. Sometimes, this response is immediate, like during a high-pressure job interview. Other times, it lingers in the background, such as in your first few weeks with a new team.
We focus on negative changes
“Humans have a negativity bias, which means we naturally tend to focus on the negative things in our lives,” says Emma. Reflect on a recent positive and negative experience you had at work, for example. Which one do you think about more often?
“It’s the same when it comes to change. In your career, positive and negative changes happen all the time. Our default reaction is to focus on the negative, which means we forget the positive changes,” says Emma.
Change requires energy
Another survival mechanism we’ve gained through evolution is a need to conserve energy. “If we don’t consciously consider our actions, we tend to choose the path of least resistance. We’re creatures of habit. It requires less energy,” explains Emma.
“When change approaches, we’re forced to do things differently. That goes against our need to conserve energy. And against our need for stability. This costs us an enormous amount of energy, which is why we’d prefer to avoid it.”
We’re afraid of failure
“In my sessions, I often see people who are afraid of failure,” says Emma. “This fear increases when change occurs. The person comes from a safe place, steps into the unknown, and suddenly has to figure out new ways of working. This might cause them stress because they start to think ”maybe I can’t do this’.”
Limiting beliefs play a role here. We tell ourselves that we’re less capable than we are. It’s a form of insecurity that many of us deal with.
We have little motivation to change
This is where the previous four points come together. Because our brains are wired to spot danger, save energy, and avoid the risk of failing, most people on your team won’t automatically feel motivated to embrace change, and that’s normal.
These tendencies also reinforce one another. When someone retreats into their comfort zone, adapting feels harder, which increases the fear of getting it wrong. That fear makes the change feel even more draining. And when something feels draining or uncertain, the brain interprets it as negative — activating the negativity bias all over again.
How is your team affected by change?
Now that you understand why change can be so challenging, it’s important to recognise how this plays out with your team. As a manager, being aware of these factors can help you support your team more effectively. Here are some examples from Emma:
1. Fear related to their position in a new team
“I often see employees who are afraid that their role will become less relevant when their organisation goes through a change. They’re scared that they’ll be moved to a new role or, worst case scenario, that they’ll lose their job.”
2. Feeling uncomfortable in a new team
“One of my clients had to deal with an overhaul at work. She found herself on a new team, in a new department. Her team members and supervisors made little effort to get to know her and onboard her. It wasn’t clear what her new team expected of her and how they were supposed to work together. As a result, she didn’t dare ask for help with her work, which harmed her performance and mental well-being.”
3. A mismatch of goals and values
“Change is also associated with the larger goals we strive for in life. After a change, your team member might doubt if their job still fulfils them. This creates a lack of meaning or purpose. People who struggle with this often feel that they are losing control.”
4. Fear of not coping with the new change
“Team members might be afraid that they won’t be able to keep up with the change that’s taking place within their organisation. For example, if they’ll have new responsibilities or need to adapt to new ways of working, they might be unsure that they’ll be able to handle it.”
5. Feeling like they’ve lost control
When communication about organisational changes is unclear, especially around shifting expectations, it can make employees feel like they’ve lost control. In response, they often overcompensate by working longer hours or pushing themselves too hard. This creates a false sense of control but drains their energy.
Practical tips to help your team handle change
As a manager, there are several ways you can support your team and help them navigate change:
1. Communication is key
As already stated, people like to feel in control. Communication helps with this.
“Communicate clearly and on time about what will change for your team. Consider team formations, responsibilities, salaries and evaluations. Communicating just once won’t be enough for major changes. Keep everyone informed throughout the process.” says Emma.
Because of our brain’s negativity bias — the tendency to pay more attention to potential problems than to benefits — it helps to clearly communicate why the change is happening and what the positive impact will be. Be transparent about the reasons behind it and honest about what you do and don’t know yet.
A simple change roadmap can also support your communication. Outline what will shift in each phase and how these changes may affect your team’s roles or priorities. Returning to the same roadmap throughout the process creates familiarity and helps your team feel more in control.
2. Honesty is the best policy
As a manager, your team looks to you for guidance during change. One of the best ways to support them is by creating an honest and open culture, supporting psychological safety. “
”Make it clear where employees can go to share their concerns, whether it’s with you, HR, or a dedicated focus group,” says Emma.
Regularly check in with your team and encourage honest discussions about how they’re adjusting. Being transparent about challenges, including your own, builds trust. “Many employees feel like they’re the only ones struggling, but that’s rarely the case,” Emma explains. When you share your own experiences with change, it can help your team open up and share their concerns too.
3. Offer tools for coping with change
Many team members may prefer to talk through their concerns with someone outside the organisation, as it feels safer and more anonymous. As a manager, it’s essential to provide the right support and resources. Remember to offer OpenUp’s tools, such as recommending a 1:1 online session with a psychologist for additional guidance.
4. Involve your team in the process as much as possible
It’s simple: people like to have a sense of control and not feel like everything is done without their opinion or input.
“One client I spoke to several times was very frustrated with a process of change taking place within her organisation. Meanwhile, she had lots of good ideas for how it could be done better,” explains Emma. “She just felt that there wasn’t space for her ideas, which is why she kept them to herself.”
This example that Emma offers illustrates a traditional top-down approach to change: management implements changes without consulting the employees.
Emma continues: ”Together they found a solution: she proposed creating a space where the team could share ideas for improving things. Her manager agreed, and several of the ideas she collected were later implemented — giving her a genuine sense of control and influence.”
What does this example teach us? Involving employees in a process of change does more good than bad. “I think this is always the case,” says Emma. “A forum is a great way.” Other methods include focus groups, committees for developing ideas, a suggestion box, or surveys and polls.
5. Redefine failure
“As stated earlier, fear of failure is a major stumbling block for many,” says Emma. “You can lessen this fear by redefining failure.”
One approach is to redefine failure itself. “You can introduce the idea that ‘fail’ stands for ‘first attempt at learning,‘” Emma suggests. But beyond words, normalising mistakes in the workplace is key.
“The more openly mistakes are discussed, the less intimidating they become,” she explains. A great example is ‘F*ck Up Fridays’—a weekly session where employees share a time they made a mistake and what they learned from it.
Encouraging a culture where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities helps employees feel more confident, especially during times of change. Make space for open discussions and continuous improvement—both during transitions and beyond.
Armed with this advice, you can confidently lead your wonderful team members to better deal with organisational changes. Because when we help each other, humans are capable of achieving anything.
