Experiencing change fatigue? Get change management training

“Change is the only constant” has become a cliché. But clichés are overused because they’re true.

We humans are under constant pressure to adapt, to global events, new technologies, market shifts, self-care guidelines, weather patterns, a new election season, public health epidemics, regulatory changes. The list goes on.

It can feel like just as we make peace with one societal crisis, another arises. Just as we get the hang of a new process, the supply chain shifts. And just as we adapt to the latest software, a better version gets released.

Not to mention that organizations everywhere continue to undergo significant changes thanks (in part) to these never-ending environmental factors. We’re seeing layoffs, cost-cutting measures, strategic pivots, reorganizations, and disruptive innovations galore.

The relentless waves of change are exhausting. Corporate employees are treading the waves as best they can, but some days, even the most resilient organizations can find it hard to keep their heads above water. That’s called change fatigue.

Jump to section:

• What is change fatigue?
• What happens when you don’t have change management training?
• Change management best practices
• Strategies for communicating change
• The role of change management training
• How Duarte helps companies communicate change, well

What is change fatigue?

Change fatigue is a general sense of apathy or passivity towards organizational changes by individuals or teams, said to arise when too much change takes place. Change fatigue can result from (or be exacerbated by) simply existing on our ever-changing, anxiety-inducing planet. But also, in turbulent times or economic strife, organizations can encounter so much change in a short amount of time, from layoffs to another business pivot, that your employees, productivity, and business outcomes all suffer. Let’s take a look.

Symptoms of change fatigue

Sometimes also known as organizational change fatigue, if your employees are suffering from these symptoms, you might be caught in a change fatigue cycle.

1. Emotional exhaustion and low employee morale

Constant change can lead to stress and anxiety among employees. (Like this 2024 Visier report found, where worn-out workers reported that change fatigue left them feeling anxious, burnt-out, and distrusting of their employers.)

2. Decreased engagement and productivity

Overwhelmed employees often become disengaged, less invested in their work, and less productive. After all, if you’re burnt out and emotionally overwhelmed, how can you concentrate on getting your work done?

3. Resistance to change

When employees feel frustrated and overwhelmed by change, they’re more likely to resist new initiatives in order to avoid rework, more work, loss of control, and unpredictable outcomes at all costs.

4. Higher turnover

Prolonged change fatigue can (unsurprisingly) lead to increased employee turnover as workers seek improved environments.

But here’s the thing. No matter what industry, organization, or executive board you work for, you cannot escape change. We live in a climate characterized by frequent and significant disruptions. That’s why it’s up to leaders everywhere to manage and mitigate change fatigue as best they can. So, leaders: do you have what it takes to lead a successful change effort? Are you equipped to help your employees handle a world rife with chaos? Can you spearhead a company transformation as the world evolves simultaneously? Many may try, but few will succeed. Let’s discuss why.

What happens when you don’t have change management training

Effective communication is at the heart of any successful change management communication strategy. But unfortunately, many organizations make matters worse with poor communication, or lack thereof. This is usually because their leadership lacks change communication for leaders training, effective communication professionals, or both.

Let’s review five of the most common change communication pitfalls.

1. Ignoring emotion

I once had a boss who believed that emotions didn’t belong in the workplace. She stuck to the facts and never disclosed personal stories. But failing to consider the emotional impact of change on employees can lead to disaster. Change brings uncertainty and anxiety, and employees need to feel understood and supported by another human with feelings. It may be uncomfortable to address the emotional toll change takes in the workplace, but it would be negligent to ignore.

2. Losing focus of the audience

When it comes to effective change communications, empathy for the audience is everything. But sometimes, leaders get so caught up in the promise of change that they forget to think about what it means from the employees’ lens. If you’re a leader initiating change, you must remember that your employees are the ones who will make that change a reality.

So, although the potential outcome is exciting to you, your people may be experiencing the dread and anxiety that come along with putting in work to do something different. A great free tool to help you get started with this is our Audience Needs Map™.

3. Using the same messaging for every audience

We see many folks who try to take the easy way out by relying on the same messaging for every group of stakeholders. But your finance team has different concerns than your logistics team, which has different concerns than your marketing team. So, it’s in everyone’s best interest to segment your change management communication strategy relative to who this change affects. Until you customize your change communications to address different concerns and motivations, your employees won’t feel fully understood.

4. Minimal preparation

It’s been said that if you fail to prepare, you can prepare to fail. When it comes to communicating change or communicating during times of turbulence and disruption, you can’t just wing it. You need to prepare.

That doesn’t mean you need to be so polished and professional that you lack authenticity, but the more calm, collected, and confident you are, the more peace of mind your employees will receive. And that requires knowing your audience and your messaging, anticipating resistance, infusing personal stories, and acing your delivery. So before you address change in front of an audience, do everyone a favor and prepare.

5. Insufficient information

When you don’t provide sufficient information about the need for change, the impact of change, the landscape, or the action plan, your employees will be left feeling unsatisfied and confused instead of set up for success. Not to mention that oftentimes, rumors and misinformation spread, which further undermines trust and