By Gali Cooks, Jewish Leadership Pipelines Alliance
Change is life’s only constant. As philanthropists, we will either be undergoing change or driving it throughout our time involved in giving. Whether you love it or hate it, are in a position to react to it or create it, it is critical to our success as change agents to understand how we experience change and what we can do to manage it.
What are some changes you might face—or drive—as givers?
- Changing economic times
- Changing political climates, whether federal, state, or local
- Local changes (e.g., closing of a key social services agency, hiring of new school superintendent)
- Organizational changes (e.g., new trustees or board chair, hiring a first or new staff person, changing philanthropic strategy, influx of assets)
How People Experience Change
Many theories explain how individuals come to accept change. One, the Change Curve, is particularly accessible. Originally developed in the 1960s by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, it is based on a model of the grieving process—a model Kübler-Ross proposed could be applied to any life-changing event.
Over the years, the Change Curve has become a core concept in change management, and it is often applied in business and other organizational settings. The curve and its associated emotions can be used to predict how people presumably will react to the announcement and subsequent implementation of a significant change. Individuals will progress through the stages differently, and not every individual will experience every stage.
Stage 1: Shock and Denial
- What happens? Shock is usually the initial reaction to change, often due to fear, surprise, or lack of information. Although typically short-lived, it can result in negative fallout (e.g., uncertainty, confusion, a scramble to hold on to resources). After the initial shock passes, denial is common. People may try to convince themselves that the change won’t actually happen, or, if it does, that it won’t affect them. Some may romanticize the past and question the need for change.
- What helps? Reiterate what the change is, why it is necessary, and the effects it may have. Provide as much reassurance as possible to support individuals struggling with this stage.
