Change fatigue happens when a person or team (network) is at least one change project past their capacity, which can result in burnout, indifference, retreat, or looking for a way out.
—Evelyn Williams, Prosci Principal Change Advisor
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Change Saturation vs. Change Fatigue
Change saturation occurs when disruptive changes exceed your capacity to adopt them. Your organization is likely saturated when turmoil becomes the norm, projects can’t be prioritized easily, bottlenecks slow progress, and project outcomes begin to suffer.
When this happens, employees start to exhibit signs of change fatigue. This is characterized by a range of symptoms, ranging from apathy and anxiety to burnout.
And the issue is far from uncommon. Studies reveal that 53% of employees feel that there’s too much change happening all at once in their organizations, while 71% are overwhelmed by the amount of change in their jobs.
But it’s not just employees who are impacted by change fatigue. Its effects are felt across the organization.
Roles most affected by change
Although everyone feels the impact of change, Prosci Best Practices in Change Management research shows that certain job functions experience more change saturation than others. This includes operations, customer service, sales, human resources and, of course, the change management office.
Of these roles, people managers and front-line employees experience the greatest levels of change saturation. Managers often implement changes and tend to feel the impacts first. And because changes cascade through the entire organization from the top down, front-line employees often bear the cumulative effects of ongoing change more than any other role.
The role of managers and leaders in addressing change fatigue
Both managers and leaders play a pivotal role in preventing change fatigue from derailing progress. A proactive, people-centric approach is essential. This equips you to both recognize the early signs of change fatigue and take targeted action.
How managers communicate is also key. Prosci research shows that employees prefer to hear organizational messages from senior leaders, but look to their immediate managers for personalized guidance. This highlights the importance of managerial roles in both communicating and facilitating change.
To identify change fatigue early, managers and leaders must first know what to look for. Let’s explore the signs and symptoms that indicate change fatigue is setting in.
Symptoms and signs of change fatigue at work
How will you know when your people are fatigued? The Prosci ADKAR® Model shows us that individuals react to change in predictable ways. This includes how they exhibit fatigue arising from change saturation.
Here’s what to look for:
Noise
You might notice more frequent and intense complaints about change from employees. This may appear as protesting in meetings or open frustration with how change is being handled. This often signals a lack of understanding about the change or misalignment with leadership messaging.
Apathy
If your team members stop engaging, it may be a sign of fatigue. They withdraw from conversations, skip optional meetings, or rarely offer input. Apathy can arise when people don’t believe their feedback makes a difference. Or when they’re too overwhelmed to care.
Burnout
You may notice physical and mental signs of employee burnout, such as shorter tempers or physical exhaustion. Performance starts to slip and absence increases. This can result from continuous change with no reprieve or recognition, especially when workload expectations remain the same.
Stress
When anxiety becomes part of organizational culture, it can indicate that fatigue has set in. Employees feel pressured to keep up but lack the tools or clarity to do so effectively. You may hear questions like “Which of these priorities is most important?” or “What happens if I fall behind?”.
Resistance
Resistance is a natural reaction to change. But it can lead to fatigue if not managed effectively. Some people resist change openly through complaints or noncompliance. Others do so passively, through disengagement or delay. Both indicate a lack of desire or ability to change.
Negativity
When change fatigue takes hold, pessimism often follows. People are quick to dismiss new initiatives before they start and take a cynical view of changes. When negativity spreads unchecked, it creates a ripple effect that can hinder even well-planned change efforts.
Skepticism
You might find your employees voicing doubts about change success. This mindset often stems from past experiences where promises were made but not kept. Employees may be wary that they won’t be supported through change or recognized for their efforts.
When people show these symptoms and signs, organizations also suffer consequences. For example, change-fatigued employees tend to be less productive, take more time off, and even quit their jobs more frequently. Morale begins to erode across the organization, and employees lose their focus on business basics.
Our ADKAR Model offers a structured way to support individuals, leading to more successful change initiatives. This support helps to mitigate the symptoms of change fatigue or prevent them altogether. By building Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement, the ADKAR Model equips leaders with practical ways to keep employees engaged and resilient.
Prosci ADKAR Model
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Knowing what to look for is the first step. Understanding how to recognize these signs early prevents change fatigue from disrupting progress.
How to recognize the signs of change fatigue in individuals
Actively working to avoid change saturation is ideal. But when you can’t avoid it, catching fatigue early means you can offer relief and avoid the long-term negative impacts on individuals, projects and organizations.
No matter which approach you choose, being proactive is key:
Ask for insights from your employees
Gather feedback directly from employees and managers about the amount of change they’re experiencing and how they’re reacting to it. This can include surveys, interviews and small-group sessions. Regular one-to-one meetings or team discussions can also help gauge employee sentiment.
Observe behavior and team dynamics
Conduct comparative observations to evaluate the amount of change taking place and the level of discontent people are exhibiting. Monitor for the behavioral signals of change fatigue and be particularly alert when team members are involved in multiple changes at once.
Leverage tools and metrics to detect saturation
Use assessments to measure the amount of change and its impact on individuals and groups. It’s also important to assess the time available to handle change at the employee level. Be on the lookout for dips in adoption, resistance trends or project slowdowns as indicators of change fatigue.
Once you can recognize the signs of change fatigue, you need to take strategic action to address it before it escalates.
People-Centric Strategies for Managers
to Address Change Fatigue
Change fatigue can cause major disruption to transformation initiatives. Here’s how managers and leaders can reduce the likelihood of change fatigue with a people-focused approach.
Foster clear and open communication
Develop Awareness by keeping employees informed about the reasons for change, timelines, and expectations. Transparent messaging and open feedback loops reduce uncertainty, which can lead to change fatigue.
A strong “What’s In It For Me” (WIIFM) message clarifies how the change benefits employees. This aligns with the Desire element of the ADKAR Model, fostering a sense of commitment and willingness to change.
Establishing a common language for change is also crucial. When organizations use a consistent set of terms and phrases, it clarifies what change means and helps employees navigate through the process more effectively. This common language streamlines conversations and reduces ambiguity, allowing everyone to understand and manage change as a concrete and relatable journey.
Build Knowledge and Ability
Change fatigue often arises when employees lack the necessary skills to adopt new ways of working. To combat this, providing targeted training and resources is essential, as it builds both Knowledge and Ability, while also instilling confidence to move forward.
Equally important is the need for emotional support during transitions. Recognizing and addressing the emotional impacts of change through support programs can significantly reduce stress and anxiety.
Engage stakeholders
Prosci research found that 20% of change professionals report insufficient stakeholder engagement as a significant obstacle, which can result in fatigue.
Actively engaging employees and stakeholders in the change process builds the Desire to change and fosters a sense of ownership. When employees feel involved in the change, they’re more likely to support it.
Support employees through change
Resistance to change is a normal and expected reaction, often stemming from the psychological and physiological responses individuals experience when faced with new circumstances. Prosci research highlights that effectively managing resistance is crucial for successful change initiatives. Identifying potential resistance points early on and developing proactive strategies to address them can prevent concerns from escalating into change fatigue.
Trust is a key component of effectively preventing resistance. Establishing a culture of trust within the organization encourages employees to voice their concerns and engage openly with the change process. A change agent network can help to build trust by facilitating communication between employees and leaders. Change agents serve as advocates and liaisons, helping to bridge gaps in understanding and ensuring that employees feel heard and supported.
Recognize achievements and reinforce progress
Celebrating small wins and promoting feedback can further empower employees, making them feel valued and engaged in the change process.
Focus on building a change-positive culture—one that embraces change and adaptability. Share stories of successful change experiences, create an environment where open communication is encouraged, and drive Reinforcement by recognizing milestones.
Prioritize change management
Adopting a structured change management approach, such as the Prosci Methodology, minimizes disruption and reduces the risk of change fatigue occurring.
A framework like our ADKAR Model helps to guide individuals smoothly through transitions, ensuring they’re prepared and equipped for change.
The Prosci 3-Phase Process to Address Change Fatigue
Using the Prosci 3-Phase Process as a framework to address change fatigue provides a structured approach that can effectively manage the people-side of change. Here’s how each phase contributes to alleviating change fatigue:
Phase 1 – Prepare Approach
Define Success – By clearly articulating your organizational objectives, you help reduce confusion and ensure employees understand the purpose of change.
Define Impact – By identifying who will be impacted by the change and how their roles will be affected, this stage allows you to proactively address potential areas of resistance.
Define Approach – A customized change management strategy, including a stakeholder engagement plan, helps to reduce the risk of fatigue and overwhelm by involving employees in the change process.
Phase 2 – Manage Change
Plan and Act – Developing plans to support individuals through change allows you to address the underlying causes of employee change fatigue. For example, a Communications Plan can alleviate anxiety through clear change messaging. A Training Plan gives employees confidence that they’ll have the knowledge and skills they need to adapt.
Track Performance – Regularly assess how employees are coping with change so you can quickly intervene if you spot signs of fatigue.
Adapt Actions – A flexible approach lets you adjust plans based on feedback or performance metrics. This may mean staggering changes or providing additional support if employees show signs of change fatigue.
Phase 3 – Sustain Outcomes
Review Performance – Evaluate the change management impact on employee well-being so you can identify and address potential issues related to change fatigue.
Activate Sustainment – Reinforce new behaviours and practices to help reduce the risk of reverting to old habits that contribute to fatigue.
Transfer Ownership – When you empower employees to take ownership of the change, employee engagement improves. This can reduce feelings of fatigue associated with external pressures.
Applying the Prosci 3-Phase Process helps you create a structured, people-focused approach that keeps employees engaged and empowered. As a result, you can reduce change fatigue while driving successful outcomes.
Prosci 3-Phase Process
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