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Change Fatigue
105
CHANGE FATIGUE
I N T H E W O R K P L A C E
Athabasca University
MHST/NURS 621
Dr. Kathryn Crooks
15 July 2020
INTRODUCTION
MEET OUR TEAM
Julia Cornester
Julia was a Neonatal ICU and Pediatric Emergency nurse who quickly found herself on the prevention and education side of Public Health to prevent the injury and illness she’d seen. Her passion is education, and she hopes to use her new leadership skills to make real change happen for her colleagues who work with families and give their heart to all they do. She is the proud owner of three small monkeys who use the current Covid situation to challenge her creativity, humour, and sanity every day!
Erica Kearns
Erica is a registered nurse in a pediatric emergency department in BC, providing emergency nursing care for the pediatric population. With a passion for learning and teaching, she hopes to take on both clinical and formal roles as an educator.
Sammie Khan
My name is Sammie Khan. I live in Edmonton, Alberta, I am a human resources professional and work for a home health care company. My hobbies include cooking, reading, and watching crime-related shows.
Erinn Quiring
Erinn has been working in oncology for ten years with a specific focus in prostate cancer research. Upon completion of her Masters degree, she would like to take on a leadership role in research mentoring other healthcare professionals and participating in the exciting new developments that can arise from research. In her spare time, she chases around two beautiful kids, enjoys reading and doing yoga.
Jennifer Kelly
Jennifer is an Emergency Response Nurse providing emergency care to the workers at the Suncor Oilsand Plant site just north of Fort McMurray. Jennifer is completing her Master of Nursing program in the hopes to obtain a leadership role, allowing her to share her knowledge and experience to others.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Explain what change fatigue is and the symptoms associated with change fatigue.
- Analyze the causes and contributing factors of change fatigue and their impact on organizational change.
- Understand the consequences and effects of change fatigue on individual, team, and organizational performance.
- Explore strategies to prevent and reduce change fatigue in organizations.
- Recognize how to measure change fatigue.
(McCutcheon, n.d.).
WHAT IS CHANGE FATIGUE?
WHAT IS CHANGE FATIGUE?
Change fatigue is a general sense of apathy or resignation individuals or teams feel in the working environment when they perceive or when they face rapid and continuous organizational changes.
The rate of organizational change is perceived as too frequent, unfocused, uninspired, and unsuccessful.
(Office Guy Cartoons, n.d).
(Brown, et al., 2018; McMillan & Perron, 2013)
SYMPTOMS OF CHANGE FATIGUE
Symptoms
- Stress
- Exhaustion
- Decreased commitment
- Burnout
- Confusion
- Increase in complaints
- High levels of fear
- Inability to work to capacity
- Disengaged
- Apathetic
- Disempowered
(Image of Person, n.d.)
(Love, 2016; National Institute for Health Quality, 2020)
CAUSES OF CHANGE FATIGUE
CAUSES
- Minimal or lack of support from leaders
- Change is managed poorly
- Lack of benefit
- Constant change
- Too much change is taking place at one time within an organization.
- Situations where several, sometimes conflicting changes are undertaken simultaneously. New changes are introduced before reaping benefits of previous change or allowing routine to take over.
- Emotional exhaustion Limits an individual’s ability to deal with change by limiting the coping resources available to deal with change.
Marketoonist. (n.d.).
(Arens & Morin, 2016; Bernerth et al., 2011)
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CHANGE FATIGUE?
EFFECTS
- Change fatigue has many effects on the organization, employees, managers and change agents as well as on current and future change initiatives.
- When encountering multiple change initiatives, employees can become overwhelmed and fear that change to current practices may result in instability in the workplace.
- Change fatigue can also be associated with cynicism, skepticism, and pessimism.
(Bernerth et al., 2011; Ford et al., 2008; Hammond et al., 2011; Meyer & Stensaker, 2006; Peus et al., 2009).
EFFECTS ON EMPLOYEES
Individual Effects
Exhaustion: constantly feeling depleted and overextended beyond one’s ability to handle workplace demands.
As a result individuals:
- may feel drained and lack the required energy to perform the primary responsibilities of their job (Bernerth, 2011)
- have the inability to adapt to ongoing change and lead to a decrease in commitment to the organization.
- may experience lower levels of job satisfaction and report that they may be looking for other employment opportunities
- may participate in sabotaging any change initiatives that may arise (Ford et al., 2008; Peus et al., 2009).
(Hamilton News, n.d.).
EFFECTS ON MANAGER AND CHANGE AGENT
Manager and Change Agent
Effects
Upper management and those acting as change agents are responsible for ensuring the successful implementation of change initiatives. If not:
- Unsuccessful change initiatives can cause managers to experience both a loss of employee trust and manager credibility. Ultimately leading employees to question their leaders (Ford et al., 2008; Peus et al., 2009).
Beaudan (2006) suggests that all change initiatives end in shifts of power.
- Change fatigue can result in change leaders leaving the organization due to frustration, exhaustion from stress, and becoming reluctant to share or comment on data regarding the change initiative. This diverts resources and their attention from the change initiative to other organizational priorities (Beaudan, 2006).
(Business Matters Magazine, n.d)
ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTS
Change fatigue affects the organization's success in many ways of which include:
- Low level of organizational commitment, employee withdrawal, decreased working performance, lack of trust in management and change agents, as well as previous unsuccessful experiences with change efforts (Ford et al., 2008; Peus et al., 2009).
- Instability and exhaustion prevent the implementation of successful change initiatives and hinder managers' ability to retain credibility in future change initiatives (Bernerth et al., 2011; Ford et al., 2008; Garside, 2004; Peus et al., 2009).
Organizational Effects
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO CHANGE FATIGUE
Goals and
Expectations
Speed of
Change
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
Underlying traits, systematic failures in direction and implementation, and general factors which impact the success of the change process.
Controlling for these complexities can significantly alter the outcomes for an organization.
Consideration of these type of mitigation strategies can also increase staff satisfaction, reduce resistance and attrition, and determine the success of a change project.
Mix of
People
Change is
Boring
(McMillan & Perron, 2013)
Lack of
Buy-In
GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS ARE NOT CLEARLY DEFINED
Organizations whose vision, mission statement, and process for achieving excellence are defined and communicated have better success at implementing and sustaining change (Beaudan, 2006).
THE SPEED OF CHANGE IS NOT APPROPRIATE
- Changes happen so slowly that people lose motivation and vision
- Changes happen so quickly that people feel left behind and the learning curve is too steep (Beaudan, 2006)
THE MIX OF PEOPLE IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE TRANSFORMATION
- Lack of expertise
- Lack of appropriate leadership
- Failure to include outside voices to think outside the box
- Using result-based people instead of change agents who can unify the organization
(Beaudan, 2006)
THE CHANGE IS BORING
The change is constant and doesn’t seem different from previous changes or meaningful to an individual or
group (Bernerth et al., 2011).
The change doesn’t impact the people asked to modify their practices in a significant way so there is a lack of buy-in (Beaudan, 2006).
CONSEQUENCES OF CHANGE FATIGUE
CONSEQUENCES
- Change fatigue occurs when many changes are introduced and implemented within an organization.
- Quality improvements, performance improvements and heighten pressures/ challenges are key players in change and change fatigue (Bernerth et al., 2011).
- One of the main aspects within human nature is the inherent need for predictability and order, changes interrupt this need (Bernerth et al., 2011).
- As change fatigue sets in individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole are impacted.
- Lets review how change fatigue can impact individual, team, and organizational performance.
(One Clear Message Consulting, 2020)
Individual Performances
- Although change fatigue can impact many layers of the organization, individuals and their performance are also impacted in many ways.
- Once change fatigue occurs exhaustion may set in; leaving individuals feeling depleted and overextended (Bernerth et al., 2011).
- Individual employees are likely to display a number of change fatigue behaviors impacting their performance, these include:
- Disengagement- arriving late or leaving work early, the individuals attitude becomes apathetic.
- Burn out- overwhelmed by responsibilities, lack of energy to complete task, an individual may show up to work however, not complete anything.
- Confusion- rushing from one job to another without really accomplishing anything.
- Stress- as stress and anxiety rises so does interpersonal conflict. One may become short tempered, causing poor work relations.
- Cynicism- everyday is cynicism and resignation. Phrases such as " here we go again" or "the change never sticks" may occur.
(DanielLock Consulting, 2019)
(Vidupm, 2018)
- Team contribution is impacted when individuals and the organization are not in sync with one another.
- Once an individual experiences change fatigue they may unintentionally change the composition and structure of the team (Banks et.al, 2019).
- Consequences that can impact team performances include:
- Decrease in neuro-behavioral capacity- this can reduce the functional size of a team. Therefore, team members are adding more task to their already busy schedule.
- Reduction in available pool of knowledge, skills and abilities needed to complete a task (Banks et.al, 2019).
Team Performance
Consequences
- Project delivery- change initiatives fail to produce expected results. Projects may never be completed or only partially completed due to lack of resources and staff (DanielLock Consulting, 2019).
- Confusion and apathy- managers and leaders become confused with all of the changes taking place leading to lack of direction and productivity (DanielLock Consulting, 2019).
(Dreamstime, 2020).
- Although change can bring an organization many advancements, improvements and innovation;
- It can also create impaired coping, adaption and a sense of uncertainty (Ead, 2015).
- Once change fatigue has set in, a cultural change will be seen; Most often not a positive shift (DanielLock consulting, 2019).
- The consequences of change fatigue on an organizations performance include:
Organizational Performance
Consequences
- Resistance to change becomes automatic- as change initiatives are implemented they are met with resistance, cynicism and apathy (DanielLock consulting, 2019).
- Individuals place blame of failure of change on the organization. (McMillian & Perron, 2013).
- Operational issues lack of focus- day to day business and the focus on the customer is almost forgotten. A managers time and resources becomes so stretch that it is impossible to focus on the need to provide quality products and services (DanielLock consulting, 2019).
- Collapse of individual morale- as change fatigue occurs so does the collapse of morale across the organization.
- Individuals become disenfranchised and managers become disenchanted (DanielLock consulting, 2019).
- Key personnel leave the company, as well turnover increases with the individuals left within the organization (DanielLock consulting, 2019).
- Lack of organizational commitment- organizational commitment is considered when an individual will go the extra mile on behalf of the organization. This is impacted when individuals are suffering from exhaustion, leading to a reduction in their involvement within the organization (Bernerth et al., 2011).
MEASURING CHANGE FATIGUE
Several studies have indicated a high potential for negative outcomes when individuals perceive too much change within an organization (Huy, 2001). What does too much change feel like? What are employees perceptions of change? And how do we measure change?
MEASURING CHANGE FATIGUE
(Scale, n.d.)
Bernerth et al. (2011) identified that a need existed for the development of a validated scale to assess employee perception of change fatigue in the workplace. In an attempt to address this need, they developed a change fatigue scale and conducted studies to assess the reliability of their measure. Results from these studies suggest that this scale is superior in measuring change fatigue with high reliability, content validity, and internal consistency in larger sample populations. To date, this is the only validated scale to measure change fatigue.
Change Fatigue Measurement Scale
The scale consists of a six item measure of change fatigue. A seven-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = “strongly disagree” to 7 = “strongly agree” is used to measure participants answers. The results of the measure allows for a general impression as to whether too much change is taking place for an individual/organization.
Change Fatigue Scale
(Bernerth et al., 2011; International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines, 2011)
Early identification of excessive organizational change can allow for appropriate interventions to be implemented by leadership. In turn, these interventions will reduce or eliminate the negative outcomes that can arise from change fatigue, such as resistance and withdrawal to change (Bernerth et al., 2011).
Something to Consider
(Businesswoman, 2020)
MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE FATIGUE
As a leader and/or manager, one must recognize and know how to manage change fatigue.
At times, these change leaders need to take a step back from all of the moving parts and think:
- Are we going through too much change at the same time?
- How is this change affecting individuals?
- What can be done to help prevent change fatigue?
Let us take a look at how leaders/managers can help manage change fatigue.
MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
HELPING PEOPLE THROUGH CHANGE FATIGUE
Managing Change Fatigue
(Human Synergistics Australia & New Zealand, 2015)
SUMMARY
- As organizations try to preserve their competitive advantage in the marketplace, the need to change and adapt becomes more critical. However, if the change becomes too frequent, the impact is seen on the individual, team, and organizational levels through change fatigue.
- As employees become affected by change fatigue, they begin to experience stress, exhaustion, decreased commitment to the organization, burnout, apathetic and disempowered.
Summary
- This in turn, affects teams and the organization. Therefore, organizations must ensure that managers, leaders, and supervisors are adequately trained to recognize the signs and effects of change fatigue.
- By recognizing these effects, individuals can be supplied with ways to cope and manage change fatigue, thus, increasing productivity within the organization.
Business Matters Magazine. (n.d.).
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
The following is a selection of learning activities.
Participate in at least one that meets your learning needs in the discussion forums.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ASSESSMENT QUIZ
Activity 1
1. Using the Bernerth et al. (2011) change fatigue measurement tool, assess your level of change fatigue. Provide the class with your best interpretation of the results.
Did anything surprise you? If so, how do you think that change fatigue could be decreased in your workplace? If you were not surprised by your results, provide the group with a reflection on why you feel your organization has been successful at avoiding change fatigue.
CHANGE FATIGUE SCALE
Change Fatigue Scale
(Bernerth et al., 2011; International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines, 2011)
REFLECTION
Activity 2
2. Draw from your experience. Have you experienced a change where communication may have been ineffective due to change fatigue in the individual or organization? What techniques could you use to resolve ineffective communication by addressing change fatigue?
Scholarly
Activity 3
3. Locate a scholarly journal article on change fatigue to learn more about how it affects organizational change. Please write a summary for your classmates and post it in the change fatigue forum.
PHOTOVOICE
Activity 4
(The Guardian, 2016)
What are your thoughts on change fatigue and the individual in the photo? Is the individual drowning with change fatigue or slowly recovering from change fatigue? Please describe one method to recover from change fatigue.
TED TALKS
Activity 5
5. Search for TED talks or other videos on change fatigue and organizational change. Choices are abundant. Watch a few TED talks on this topic that you find informative and inspiring. Share a helpful quote from one of the videos and the link to the source in the change fatigue forum.
References
REFERENCES
REFERENCES
References
Antonbrand. (2011). Bored cartoon man drumming his fingers [Image]. https://images.app.goo.gl/kvzCWcbhRKy4JGZcA
Arens, A. K., & Morin, A. J. S. (2016). Relations between teachers’ emotional exhaustion and students’ educational outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(6), 800–813. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000105
Banks, S., Blackwell Langdon, L., Dorrian, J., Waggoner, L.B., Centofanti, S.A., Roma, P.G., & Van Dongen, H.P.A. (2019). Effects of fatigue on teams and the role in 24/7 operations. Sleep Medical Reviews, 48, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2019.101216
Beaudan, E. (2006). Making Change Last: How to Get Beyond Change Fatigue. Ivey Business Journal, January/February 2006.
Bernerth, J. B., Walker, H. J., & Harris, S. G. (2011). Change fatigue: Development and initial validation of a new measure. Work & Stress, 25(4), 321–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2011.634280
Brown, R., Wey, H., & Foland, K. (2018). The Relationship Among Change Fatigue, Resilience, and Job Satisfaction of Hospital Staff Nurses. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 3, 306. https://0-doi-org.aupac.lib.athabascau.ca/10.1111/jnu.12373
Business Matters Magazine. (n.d.). Humanizing Change and Preventing Change Fatigue. [Image]. https://images.app.goo.gl/CzSrWp8Rj3cpnymT8
DanielLock Consulting. (2019). 14 symptoms of change fatigue. https://daniellock.com/14-symptoms-of-change-fatigue/
DanielLock Consulting. (2019, December 6th ).14 symptoms of change fatigue. https://daniellock.com/14-symptoms-of-change-fatigue/
Dreamstime. (2020). Annual audit overworking fatigue managers sleep [Image]. https://www.dreamstime.com/annual-audit-overworking-fatigue-managers-sleep-annual-audit-overworking-fatigue-tired-managers-sleeping-chairs-floor-image140654729
Ead, H. (2015). Change fatigue in health care professionals- An issue of workload or human factors engineering? Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing, 30(6), 504-515. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jopan.2014.02.007
Garside, P. (2004) Are we suffering from change fatigue? Quality & Safety in Health Care, 13(2), 89-90. https://doi:10.1136/qshc.2003.009159
Ford, J. D., Ford, L. W., & D’Amelio, A. (2008). Resistance to change: The rest of the story. Academy of Management Review, 33(2), 362-377. doi:10.5465/AMR.2008.31193235
References
Hamilton News. (n.d.). Employees’ change fatigue [Image]. https://images.app.goo.gl/QjjZQUTcDgmsrcyHA
Hammond, G. D., Gresch, E. B., & Vitale, D. C. (2011). Homegrown process improvement employing a change message model. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 24(4), 487–510. doi:10.1108/09534811111144638
Human Synergistics Australia & New Zealand. (2015 Nov, 26). Helping People Through Change Fatigue [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkS7pftS9oM
Huy, Q.N. (2001). Time, temporal capability, and planned change. Academy of Management Review, 26, 601-623.
[Image of a Businesswoman]. (2020). https://www.istockphoto.com/ca/vector/businesswoman-feeling-tired-and-low-battery-gm944025570-257894885
[Image of person]. (n.d.). https://images.app.goo.gl/qWZFGpbSdcPQLY7w5
[Image of puzzle pieces]. (n.d.). https://images.app.goo.gl/DePdEK7rT3uEAMEw6
[Image of road signs]. (n.d.). https://images.app.goo.gl/Lfaozoa5gA9QeXXk7
[Image of a scale]. (n.d.). https://webstockreview.net/explore/scale-clipart-food-scale/
[Image of tortoise and hare]. (n.d). https://images.app.goo.gl/b8cT8QNxmc36DzYL7
[Image of wind-up man at desk]. (n.d.). https://images.app.goo.gl/JFU3Uw5hcZyw7E9G8
International Affairs and Best Practice Guidelines.(2011). Preventing and mitigating nurse fatigue in healthcare. https://rnao.ca/sites/rnao-ca/files/Preventing_and_Mitigating_Nurse_Fatigue_in_Health_Care.pdf
Love, S. (2016). The signs of change fatigue. https://www.lovehr.ca/2016/08/the-signs-of-change-fatigue/
Marketoonist. (n.d.). New normal [Image]. https://images.app.goo.gl/7M11QL9Tihdc7uBA7
McCutcheon, S. (n.d.). Textbooks [Image]. https://unsplash.com/photos/eMP4sYPJ9x0
References
McMillian, K., & Perron, A. (2013). Nurses amidst change: The concept of change fatigue offers an alternative perspective on organizational change. Policy, politics, & nursing practice, 14(1), 26-32. https://doi:10.117/1527154413481811
Meyer, C. B. & Stensaker, I. G. (2006). Developing capacity for change. Journal of Change Management, 6(2), 217-231. https://doi:10.1080/14697010600693731
National Institute for Health Quality. (2020). Change management fatigue. https://www.nichq.org/insight/how-cope-change-fatigue#:~:text=Change%20fatigue%20symptoms%20include%20stress,initiatives%20to%20stall%20and%20fail.
Office Guy Cartoons. (n.d). Change Fatigue [Image]. https://images.app.goo.gl/RdYNHHWUYY28278f8
One Clear Message Consulting. (2020). Strategies for effectively managing change fatigue [Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.oneclearmessage.com/strategies-for-effectively-managing-change-fatigue/
Peus, C., Frey, D., Gerkhardt, M., Fischer, P., & Traut-Mattausch, E. (2009). Leading and managing organizational change initiatives. Management Revue, 20(2), 158-175. htps://doi:10.1688/1861-9908_mrev_2009_02_Peus
The Guardian. (2016). The observer ME/ chronic fatigue. [Image]. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/15/it-was-like-being-buried-alive-victim-of-chronic-fatigue-syndrome
Vidupm. (2018). 3 tips to help small business battle change fatigue [Image]. https://blog.vidupm.com/3-tips-to-help-small-business-battle-change-fatigue/