4. Change Management
Bridges' transitions
Managing the transition, not just the change
Use when
Mergers, restructures, leadership changes; anywhere loss is real
- 1
Ending
Name what people lose; honour what was; let go takes time
- 2
Neutral zone
The messy middle: low productivity, high creativity, high anxiety
- 3
New beginning
Purpose, picture, plan, part to play; energy returns
How to use it
Bridges' distinction: change is the event (the merger closed); transition is the psychological reorientation, and it runs slower. The most-skipped step is honouring the ending; people cannot commit to the new until the old is respectfully closed.
Card details
- Model type
- Sequence
- Origin status
- Established
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
EstablishedWilliam Bridges, Managing Transitions, 1991.