Learn how to manage the risks of change fatigue for your workforce

Change can be exhausting for anyone, but when multiplied over by several or more people in an organization, that resistance can be particularly detrimental to the organization’s overall success. According to the Harvard Business Review, change fatigue is defined as being apathetic towards or overwhelmed by too many organizational changes at once.

Some symptoms of change fatigue in your organization can include increased levels of complaints towards change, growing indifference towards projects, or overall resignation to new ideas and changes. At the company level, some easily detectable causes of change fatigue can be poor planning or execution of new structural and project changes, poor communication about changes with employees, and too much change all at once.

The Impact of Change Fatigue on Individuals

Especially after the pandemic, change fatigue has affected employees of all levels and to increasing degrees. The effects of this resistance can take shape in several different ways. Here are a few ways individuals can be impacted.

Physical effects

One of the most obvious signs of change fatigue in employees is an increasing degree of complaints or displeasure with proposed changes. Physical effects can also manifest themselves in the opposite direction, with employees becoming entirely disengaged and not voicing opinions at all. Certain physical changes to look out for can include change in appetite, sleep, changes in appearance and hygiene, and overall modified mood. Changes in personality or attitude are generally the most indicative physical markers. Sudden disengagement in the form of poor attendance may also be a sign that employees are burnt out by sudden change.

Psychological effects

Psychological effects of change fatigue might be difficult to notice. Along with disengagement can come apathy towards the workplace in general. Feelings of frustration or fear might also be common in employees impacted by new changes, along with lowered performance and negative impacts on overall mood. Lack of trust and confidence in upper management may also come as a result of many new changes implemented within an organization.

Social effects

Negative outlooks on organizational changes and overall burnout can lead to social discontent amongst employees. Employees may start feeling unhappy, leading to a disruptive work environment that risks breeding more discontent. Fear and resistance, even if felt more intensely by only some employees, can spread to those who might not feel as opposed to the change.

The Impact of Change Fatigue in Organizations

At the individual level, change fatigue is difficult to navigate. At the organizational level, it can become a serious problem employers need to face head-on. Here are some of the potential impacts change fatigue can have on an organization, and why it is so important to take it seriously.

Productivity

If employees are resistant to change, the change will ultimately become more difficult to implement efficiently — thus undermining the effort in the first place. Additionally, employee productivity may take a hit as a result of new, unwanted changes. If employees are bombarded with different priorities at once, output will understandably not align with previous expectations.

Employee morale

After an overwhelming amount of changes are implemented, general apathy or voiced resistance can lead to low employee morale. The suddenness of change can greatly impact morale as well, even if the changes are welcome. New sets of priorities and things to learn in a short period of time may also cause employees to experience burnout and exhaustion leading to lowered overall morale.

Employee turnover

One of the greatest impacts of change fatigue is apathy and general discontent amongst employees, ultimately leading to turnover. When you combine unwanted change with low employee morale, some employees will simply decide not to accept the change and move to a different organization. A number of factors lead to employee turnover, but change fatigue is a key contributing factor.

Strategies to Overcome Change Fatigue

Staying ahead of the negative impacts of change will help your company overcome change fatigue. Enlisting help from professionals who specialize in helping organizations transition is one way to mitigate the effects. For example, if your company is rolling out new IT initiatives or procedures, Techmate can help support the transition using a white-glove approach.

Personal coping mechanisms

When undergoing change, communication is key. Talking it out with coworkers or leadership is essential, and helps keep fears and unrest from getting buried. Talk to your superiors, request a frequent review of the changes, and request time off if you need.

Organizational strategies

Unmanaged expectations is one of the root causes of change fatigue, and easily avoided with proper planning and organization. Creating a clear roadmap of what changes will take place and allowing full transparency will help to ease uncertainty. Key stakeholders should be included in change planning from its onset. Employees, and the organization as a whole, will benefit from transparency and open communication from the beginning stages of change planning.

Mitigation strategies for leadership

Leadership has the most influence on the effects of change fatigue for their employees. It’s within leadership’s power to make the transition as smooth as possible. Open communication is crucial, and employing a change taskforce can greatly benefit employees, tending to their specific needs during an uncertain time. In the midst of large structural changes, paying special attention to your employees can be the difference between success and failure. Being attune to the fact that employees may undergo a number of psychological and emotional changes during this period will also help reduce its effects.

The Future of Change Fatigue

The pandemic brought on change fatigue in workforces around the world like never expected. All employees felt the undeniable effects of a sudden, life-changing shift in how the world operates. Ongoing global changes only exacerbate change fatigue, and many predict that the need for employers to address change fatigue head-on will only increase in the years to come.

Now more than ever before, employees expect more from their employers, and many gravitate towards employers with a focus on mental health and inclusion. Most companies do not offer these resources, and are not well-equipped to deal with the sudden effects change fatigue can have on a workforce. However, specialty services are available to provide organizations and employees with the help they need.

Techmate can provide white glove handholding for major IT changes across an organization without having the users feel like they are drinking from the firehose, allowing organizations to implement important structural changes while freeing up their leaders to deal with what matters most — people. A business cannot thrive without its most important asset, and specialized transition services give your employees the attention they deserve during times of change.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes change fatigue?

Change fatigue is caused by sudden, unwanted changes within an organization that lead to apathy or resistance.

What are the symptoms of change fatigue?

Some symptoms of change fatigue among burnt out employees include discontent, decreased performance, increased voiced concerns/complaints, and poor attendance.

What are examples of change fatigue?

Some examples of change fatigue include employees being unwilling to implement new company policies, general apathy towards work, and increased turnover.