Setting your teams up for success
Transitions are a natural part of life, and new beginnings are particularly magical. Whether it's the start of a fresh year or the "back-to-school" energy of September, these moments inspire reflection and renewal. We're familiar with the energy they bring—new year's resolutions, fresh goals to join the gym, and a burst of motivation. These transitions aren't just about starting something new; they offer a chance to rethink how we approach change in our teams.
Understanding the emotional journey of change
Understanding the emotional journey of change is crucial. William Bridges' transition model, which outlines the stages of ending, neutral zone, and a new beginning, is a valuable tool. This understanding allows leaders to empathise with their teams, guiding them through the complex mix of emotions accompanying both endings and new beginnings. It's about recognising that growth is a blend of feelings—excitement, trepidation, and perhaps even sadness—and learning to embrace them all.
(Source: William Bridges, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change 1991)
The psychological dynamics of change
Change isn't just about new beginnings; it's about growth. While we're all familiar with Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), fewer know about Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). This concept describes how some people emerge stronger and with a renewed sense of self after facing adversity. For leaders, it's crucial to balance enthusiasm for fresh starts with the emotional intelligence to acknowledge endings. This balance is key to building individual and collective resilience, which in turn strengthens teams, preparing them to tackle future changes with confidence.
Harnessing natural transition points
The start of the year and September's "back-to-school" energy are perfect moments to make changes. These natural transition points offer the ideal psychological "fresh start" effect—an opportunity to boost motivation and openness to new behaviours. Aligning change initiatives with these moments is itself an opportunity, allowing leaders to tap into the collective readiness for transformation. But often, timing gets in the way. The busyness of December or the holiday lull of August means we miss those windows of opportunity for team-based change, as we're all too busy concentrating on dry January or running 5K by Feb 1st.
Navigating ad hoc changes
As organisational transitions don't always fit neatly into the calendar, we need to be good at managing change at any time of the year and work out how to manage them well. Personal milestones—like joining a new team or saying goodbye to a leader—and organisational shifts, such as restructures, often bring mixed emotions. Those leading changes can help teams handle change better by recognising the emotional journey people will go through alongside the psychological principle of loss aversion. We hate losing things, so it's important to highlight potential gains while respectfully acknowledging what's being left behind. By framing transitions in this way, focusing on the gains while quietly respecting the past, leaders can reduce resistance and build trust, setting the stage for a smoother, more positive change experience. Once you've got that frame right, let's think about the process you can take any team through when facing a transition.
Six steps to onboarding teams for change
When new starters join an organisation, they often undergo an onboarding process—but teams less so, or it may be filled by a team-building day - assuming that will do the job. That’s a missed opportunity, as starting right is far easier than fixing things later. It also requires a willingness to invest time in that process, which takes longer, but the results are definitely worth it. A more effective onboarding process for teams that makes use of a longer timescale might look something like this:
Build trust first: Trust is the cornerstone of successful change, and to build trust, you need meaningful connections. Take the time to help your team members get to know each other beyond their roles. This is especially important for remote or hybrid teams. Creating a safe space for in-person interactions at the start of a project, where team members can share personal stories and concerns, is vital. Research by Amy Edmondson highlights the importance of psychological safety in fostering collaboration and innovation. By getting this trust-building step right, you lay a strong foundation that supports everything that follows and ensures a more connected and effective transition back to virtual working.
Acknowledge transitions: Use the Bridges model of transitions above to assess where your team is in the transition process. Is it time for reflection, or are they ready to dive into the new phase? If a much-admired leader is leaving, honour their contributions before stepping into the next chapter, and let people say goodbye before you start making too much noise about their new world. Timing and empathy go hand in hand in ensuring a smooth transition.
Clarify purpose: Once you've navigated the endings, it's time to help your team imagine the new beginning and what they are there to do. This "neutral zone" is where the real magic happens - where teams can try on new ideas for size. It’s where they’ve said goodbye respectfully to the past but haven’t yet set into a new business-as-usual pattern. Give your team time to discuss the future and let your team work out what they are there to do through conversation. Ensure everyone understands the team's purpose and how it aligns with the broader organisational goals. It's surprising how many teams never discuss their team's wider impact, but connecting daily tasks to a larger mission makes the abstract feel real and actionable. So why not schedule a half-day session for your team to discuss their new purpose and give them the space to think about how each can contribute to that vision?
Set strong foundations: With the big picture in place, it’s time to focus on the behaviours that will bring that vision to life. This step is all about defining how the team will operate in the new phase. It’s important to leave a bit of a gap between this step and the last to allow people time to reflect on how the two link together. This time apart for individual thinking is just as valuable as the in-person discussions. It gives team members the opportunity to internalise the previous conversation and consider how they’ll contribute to the new phase.
When you come together, take the time to discuss how you’ll work together, as this helps establish the social norms that will guide the team’s interactions. I use my Team Guidebook approach below to set clear communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution norms. This simple framework helps teams proactively address potential challenges, ensuring they are better prepared to handle them when they arise. By balancing in-person collaboration with valuable reflection time, teams are more likely to align and build a solid foundation for success.
(Source: MCH’s Team Guidebook tool for developing empowered teams)
You don’t need to cover every section or use this approach. Whatever method you choose, the key is to set dedicated time before the team starts working together to discuss behaviours. It’s much easier to tackle these conversations before a challenge arises than when you're already in the thick of it. If you’d like to incorporate psychometric tools or explore working styles, I highly recommend the Manual of Me, a great free resource to help your team gain insights into individual working preferences. Ultimately, it’s about building self-awareness around how you'll work together and setting a blueprint for "how we do things around here."
5. Celebrating milestones and building accountability: Celebrating milestones is key to maintaining momentum and fostering a positive team culture. Recognition, both big and small, keeps the energy high and reinforces the behaviours that drive success. Celebrating progress along the way is important, not just the end goal. Whether it’s a breakthrough moment or a consistent effort, acknowledging achievements creates a sense of accomplishment that fuels continued engagement and commitment. Celebrations give the team a reason to pause and appreciate what they’ve done, strengthening morale and building a sense of shared pride.
However, celebration alone isn’t enough. Accountability plays an equally important role. Without a system to reflect on actions and outcomes, teams may lose sight of the purpose behind the tasks they’ve set. Accountability ensures that the progress made during celebrations is sustained. Without a moment to report on progress or discuss challenges, tasks often get pushed aside as priorities shift. By introducing accountability checks alongside celebrations, teams create a rhythm of continuous improvement.
The key is to normalise both celebration and accountability. When setbacks occur, they’re not failures but learning opportunities. Think of those gym memberships we sign up for with enthusiasm, only to fall off track. Teams, too, will face challenges. What matters is how they view those setbacks—as part of the learning journey rather than an endpoint. By fostering a culture of shared accountability (not blame), teams are encouraged to reflect on what didn’t work, learn from it, and come back stronger. Ultimately, when the next success comes around, the celebration will be even more meaningful because it’s built on a foundation of learning, growth, and mutual support.
6. Reflect and refine: Change is a journey, not a destination. Regularly reflect on what's working and what's not. Encourage feedback and adjust as needed to stay aligned with team goals. Expect some healthy conflict along the way—Tuckman's stages of group development (forming, storming, norming, performing, adjourning) remind us that teams evolve, and it’s not all easy. Having someone from outside the team as a facilitator for your reflection and refinement sessions is particularly helpful in navigating you through each of those stages more efficiently, as that equips you with a resource that sits outside the power dynamics of a team and can help you see more from that removed space to help the team transition and grow.
Supporting teams through change
Organisational transitions may be inevitable, but they can become growth opportunities with thoughtful planning and empathetic leadership. Leaders can equip their teams with the resilience needed to thrive in an ever-changing landscape by building trust, celebrating success, and giving the team the time and space to learn from bumps in the road. A well-executed transition process for teams facing change doesn't just help them work together but empowers them to succeed, no matter what comes next.
