4 Ways to Combat Change Fatigue

Since the spring of 2020, our lives have been changed, inside and out, and especially in the world of work.  Change has taken a toll on all of us, and for leaders, this is an especially fraught time, as we navigate even more change. Returning to the office after yet another pandemic winter, the volatility of our teams, with high levels of turnover and change, it's no wonder that people are feeling burnt out and fatigued.  

Change fatigue is a symptom we often see as change managers, when the project drags on, change is constant, and we are asking more and more of people.  Other priorities start to creep in, we get tired of constantly having to think, do and operate differently, and become less responsive to the needs of the change we are implementing. For a long time, I would talk about change fatigue and try to explain it to leaders.  Now that we’ve all experienced this rapid collective global change, we finally have something to point to and say:
“This is how change fatigue feels”

The experience we’ve had, and the global exhaustion we are now all feeling is an opportunity for empathy.  We all finally understand on a personal level what change fatigue looks and feels like.  
The unfortunate truth is that change continues. Our lives demand more of us, even as we are stuck in exhaustion.  So how do we move ourselves and our teams through change fatigue? 

1. Take the foot off the gas: Take a moment to breathe and take the pressure off.  Look at the schedule and see what parts of the project can be moved out a week or two, or what items can be deferred.  Taking time to pause, remove pressure and recalibrate is a way to strategically create an inflection point that will then enable people to re-engage in a productive way
2. Celebrate how far you’ve come: Much of transformation focuses on what is coming, what is in the future and the changes we are seeking to make.  The truth is, if you’ve reached a point of change fatigue, you’ve already made it quite far!  Take a look backwards and celebrate how far the team and you as the change leader have come.  Celebrating progress reframes the journey yet to come which can, with the benefit of hindsight
3. Get Focused:  There is a difference between must have, and nice to have changes.  Re-look at your strategy and with the team and determine what is absolutely required, and what can be abandoned or deferred.  Getting focused on what is absolutely required, vs. what will make things “perfect” according to the vision helps the team choose and focus on what is going to get the most benefit out of the change.
4. Benefits, Benefits, Benefits:  Change is being implemented because of the benefits it will bring.  These things will have an impact on the people, the organization and leadership, and usually align with shared goals or ways to make things better.  Revisiting, communicating and bringing forward the “why” of change and the benefits that will be part of success can help reinvigorate a fatigued change effort. 

Every project hits a point of change fatigue, and we all need practical ways to move through fatigue to fully implement the change we are leading.  Typically hitting a point of change fatigue indicates an inflection point in the project, where a break or recalibration is needed before the final push for success.  ​