Residing in the Neutral Zone

 

Begin with Ending

“Change is the external event or situation that takes place: a new business strategy, a turn of leadership, or a new product…Transition is the inner psychological process that people go through as they internalize and come to terms with the new situation that the change brings about.”

William Bridges Associates, 1988

          The William Bridges Transition Model begins with endings. The progression is: Endings/Neutral Zone/New beginnings. The change portion of the event is outcome focused—especially if it involves business. But strong leaders recognize that the transition, or neutral zone, must be addressed before new beginnings can be successful.

The neutral zone, or transition phase, is the psychological fall-out brought about by the change. It begins when the known or familiar ends and it can be a time of crisis for everyone concerned. In business, it might happen when a company is bought out, or a CEO is fired or resigns, or when the business adds a brand-new, or drops an old, product line. In human beings, it occurs when a familiar process or a familiar person leaves us or changes roles. Like being in liminal time, the neutral zone is a place of not-knowing—not knowing what comes next, how the change will affect us, what our new role will be, whether we will even be the same person when the dust settles.

          According to the Bridges method, new beginnings will be successful only if the leaders address the transition that people experience during the change. Empathetic leaders will recognize the turmoil caused by it and help people adapt. Too often, companies in America do not have compassionate leaders. There may be a massive buy out, for instance, that puts people’s jobs on the line, or eliminates them all together. When change happens too quickly, and there is no time for dealing with the transition, people suffer greatly.

          We humans do not like change very much. We prefer to rock along, even if we aren’t jubilantly happy, and keep doing what we do for as long as we can. Unhappy marriages continue for decades, miserable work conditions continue unaddressed until retirement. We are willing to live almost continuously in the neutral zone—liminal time—in uncomfortable crisis rather cut the cord. It’s understandable—the known discomfort is preferable to the unknown.

          But what if we could imagine that something good will come from change instead of something bad. What if we could help ourselves by not catastrophizing? What if we were to look at change as opportunity instead of disaster. Too often, we get so bogged down in our fear we cannot see that every change presents an opportunity. New beginnings are as much a part of that transition model as neutral zone or endings. Change is what happens in all living organisms, and endings are an essential part of change. It’s up to us to make the most of them.

                                        In the Spirit,

                                        Jane