Change fatigue is a feeling of exhaustion or cynicism that individuals or organizations experience as the result of frequent or complex changes.

The three main causes that contribute to change fatigue are frequent changes, failed changes, and sudden, unexpected changes.

While periodic changes, even unsuccessful or sudden ones, may not be enough to induce change fatigue, some combination of the three or their prolonged occurrence can certainly lead to it.

The danger of change fatigue is that it leads to decreased motivation, change resistance, and employee disengagement.

Disengaged and demotivated employees are less productive and can create a negative workspace. Even worse, such distrust and uncertainty can spread over time, fostering a hostile or toxic work environment that drives personnel to leave entirely.

Types of Change

Most workplaces regularly adapt to accommodate new products, services, customers, and more

The following types of changes, however, have the greatest impact on staff and can directly add to change fatigue.

Changes to processes can improve efficiency, safety, or productivity, but they can also be disruptive when an employee is already very familiar and comfortable with their current daily routine.

Changes in HR policies or employee benefits may occur less frequently but might also add to employee stress, particularly if those changes are sudden or confusing.

Changes in assigned duties usually occur when new tasks need to be added to an existing position or when responsibilities need to be shifted around. This can be extra prickly if staff feels like they are being overburdened, treated unfairly, forced to compensate for another employee’s inability, or having their personal projects taken away from them.

While changes in organizational structure are less common than other changes, they can be much more complex to navigate. The simplest organizational change would be hiring a new manager from outside the company or changing the reporting hierarchy, resulting in a new chain of command. Employees may be weary of their new boss or feel loyalty towards their former supervisor, which can complicate the work environment. Acquisitions and mergers would also fall under this category.

While usually tied to organizational changes or changes to job duties, changes or confusion around job roles and job titles can also be a factor in burnout. An easy example of this is often the question: who manages our social media accounts? There may be a dozen or more correct answers to this question but it all depends on your particular company or organization.

Changes in work conditions, like the A/C going out in the middle of summer, can be very stressful, especially when unplanned. Even seemingly minor changes, like relocating to a different office, can actually become quite time-consuming and hurt productivity. Fluctuations in business hours, assigned work shifts, and even parking arrangements could also be considered this type of change.

How to Manage Change Fatigue

For large scale changes, it is important to plan extensively and, whenever possible, roll out changes incrementally.

Be open to feedback from all employees. This helps to ensure transparency and build trust. It is often more effective to get “buy in” from staff than to simply force change. It is also crucial to evaluate the effects of changes after they have been implemented.

Embrace and promote continuous improvement as a company value. Process improvement and professional development are both forms of healthy workplace evolution that should be celebrated and not feared. It can be easier for organization members or staff to accept transformation when they know the company truly values such changes.

Be sure to establish an appropriate transition period as staff familiarize themselves with the new conditions, processes, or expectations. Some employees may take longer than others to adjust to the new settings.

Conclusion

Change can be a great thing and should be embraced as a necessary component of any successful business or organization, but it can also be challenging and costly.

Employees get burnt out when change occurs too often, produces negative results, or is sudden and unexpected. Frequent and unplanned changes create a chaotic work environment that leaves employees feeling uncertain and demotivated.

While it is common to hear in business that “if we aren’t growing, we are falling behind,” we have to be mindful about how change is implemented. It is important to plan transitions in advance, collect sincere feedback from staff, and implement changes in the least disruptive ways whenever possible.