Anthony’s Six Gs of Change
submitted by: Richard J. Anthony, Sr., The Solutions Network
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Any dislodging from what is familiar, comfortable and predictable is bound to cause some consternation. Confronted with significant change, individuals and organizations initially react in successive levels of emotionalism. Once the inevitability of change is accepted, responses become more rational in an attempt to cope and survive.
Experience indicates six responses to change: Gasping at the prospect; Groaning at the speculation; Griping about the reality; Groping for ways to cope; Grasping at viable solutions, and Growing towards adaptive attitudes and behavior. The intensity and duration of each of the six responses correlates with the acuity of the change and how change is managed.
Myriad examples of individuals, companies and governments substantiate the universality of the six responses on the change continuum. In organizations experiencing dramatic change, management must first determine where the firm is on the continuum in order to develop the appropriate strategy. For example, the type and amount of information shared with employees, as well as how it is shared should take into account whether the organization is in an emotional response mode or a rational response mode. That assessment should determine the tone of communication to employees; that is, the degree to which it is helpful, friendly and authoritative.
Effective communication is critical to any change strategy. The complexity of change requires the creation of a new partnership between management and employees, based on mutual trust and respect. The need for partnership is critical to the organization’s ability to make the transition from emotional responses to rational responses.
excerpted from the book Organizations, People & Effective Communication, by Richard J. Anthony, Sr. United States: University Readers, 2008, page 13. Please call 800.200.3908 x71 or e-mail info@universityreaders.com for additional information on this book.
