Change confusion
‘Change fatigue’ is often cited as a reason why employees don’t rush to adopt the latest shift in policy, process, technology or structure.
The reality is not so clear cut. Change occurs daily and it’s not the change itself that generates apathy or feelings of exhaustion. Rather it’s that leaders haven’t taken the time to communicate three very important things:
Why is this change necessary?
What are the benefits of doing this change now?
What will we stop (assuming that people are at full capacity)?
The industrialist mindset assumes workers are machines that can endlessly stack new changes on top of old ones and the outcomes will still be delivered. But humans don't work that way. We need meaning, purpose and understanding if we are to feel intrinsically motivated to deliver.
Yes, there are always the eager beavers who say yes to everything. Maybe they're optimists. Maybe they're scared. Either way, their enthusiasm isn't sustainable without clarity. Change is never the enemy. Confusion is.
When leaders fail to answer these three basic questions, they're not just creating resistance — they're breeding cynicism. And cynicism is much harder to fix than confusion.