A new system, a new manager, or a change in how your team works can make an ordinary day feel uncertain. Adapting to change in the workplace takes time, clear information, and a chance to learn. It also gets easier when people have relationships built on respect, collaboration, and appreciation. Those relationships give us a place to turn when we have questions or need help.
What does adapting to change in the workplace mean?
Adaptability in the workplace is the ability to adjust how you work when something changes. You might learn a new tool, join a different team, or find another way to serve a customer. You notice what the change asks of you, learn what you need, and try a way forward.
It also means speaking up when a plan has a problem. If a new process makes it harder to serve customers, your feedback can help the team make it better. You can be open to change and still ask thoughtful questions.
This skill matters because jobs keep changing. When people learn together, a team has more ways to solve problems. Trust helps people ask for help and share ideas.
Why do people resist change at work?
Resistance to change in the workplace can have several causes. To understand it, start by listening to the person affected. They may have one or more of these concerns:
- Loss of control. A decision was made without their input, and they are unsure where they still have a say.
- Uncertainty. They do not know what will happen to their role, schedule, or team.
- Fear of learning something new. They may worry about struggling with a new system or no longer being good at their work.
- Broken trust. Past promises may have been missed, or their ideas ignored. They wonder whether this time will be different.
An objection may also point to a real flaw, such as a deadline that leaves no time for training. Listening helps a leader find the problem and helps the employee feel heard.
The same worry can come from very different places, so ask which concern matters most to this person before trying to answer it.
What feelings can come up during a change at work?
A workplace change may be announced on one day, while the personal adjustment takes longer. William Bridges’s transition model offers one way to think about that adjustment.
An ending involves letting go of something familiar, such as an old role or way of working. People may feel sad, frustrated, relieved, or hopeful, depending on what the change means to them.
The neutral zone is the in-between time, when the old way is fading and the new one is taking shape. People might feel confused or impatient, while also seeing chances to try ideas. A new beginning develops as people learn the new way and find direction in it.
These ideas describe experiences people may have. Feelings can overlap or return, and each person’s experience will be different. Making room for questions and support can help throughout the transition.
How do you adapt to change at work?
These steps can help you build adaptability skills while staying connected to the people around you.
Sort what you can control from what you cannot
Write down what is changing and what you can influence. You may have no say in the date a new system goes live, for example. You might be able to plan time to practice or suggest a better way to use it.
Bring concerns outside your control to someone who can address them. If the launch date leaves no time for training, explain the risk and ask for support.
Ask for clarity and a chance to contribute
Ask your manager what is changing, why it matters, and what will stay the same. Find out what is expected of you and where you can share concerns. If an answer is not known yet, ask when you can check back.
Then share what you see from your part of the work. Ask, “Could our team test this before it reaches customers?” Your experience can reveal details a plan might miss.
Break the change into small pieces
A large shift is easier to approach when you can see the next step. If your team is moving to a new tool, start with one task you do often. Set aside time to practice, and ask for help when you get stuck.
From there, choose the next task. Check what needs attention this week and what can wait. Small steps help you see progress and spot problems early.
Build the skill with someone else
Ask for training, practice time, or a coworker who can learn alongside you. If you know part of the new process, offer to share it. Learning together makes it easier to ask questions early.
The FISH! practice of Play can help here. It brings curiosity and creativity to the work. Within safe, clear limits, a team can test an idea, see what happens, and use what it learns to improve the next attempt.
Choose how you want to show up
You can feel worried and still decide how you want to meet the day. Before a team conversation, you might choose to be curious and respectful. If you become frustrated, pause, name what you feel, and choose how to respond.
That is part of Choose Your Attitude in the FISH! Philosophy. It leaves room to acknowledge a hard situation and ask for support. Your leader also has a part to play in providing the help the team needs.
Notice progress and help someone else
Look for small wins, such as completing a task in the new system. Tell a coworker when their help made a difference. If they prefer a quiet thank-you, a private message may mean more than public praise.
This kind of sincere recognition reflects Make Their Day. It reminds people that their efforts matter while the team is still learning, and it gives everyone a reason to keep going.
How can leaders help employees adapt to change?
Helping employees adapt to change starts before an announcement and continues after the launch.
Before the change: build relationships and invite input
Spend time with people before you need them to support a new plan. Ask what helps them do good work, listen to concerns, and follow through on commitments. Be There means giving someone your full attention, even when their view is hard to hear. If you cannot do that now, set a time when you can.
Explain what has been decided and where employees can still shape the outcome. Ask the people closest to the work what could get in the way. If you use an idea, tell the team how it helped. If you cannot use it, explain why. Your response shows whether their input matters.
During the change: communicate and make learning possible
Share what you know, what you do not know yet, and when to expect an update. Keep the conversation open, because new questions often appear once people try the change. Make space for people who prefer to speak one-on-one.
Give employees time, training, and clear limits for trying new approaches. Check workloads, too. A team learning a new process alongside its usual work may need help setting priorities. Recognize effort honestly, including the coworker who helps others learn.
After the change: follow through and keep listening
Once the new process is in place, ask what is working and what still gets in the way. Check how it affects employees’ workloads and customers’ experience. Make changes where you can, share which suggestions led to action, and set a time to check in again.
Keep offering help as people gain confidence. Leading change includes staying with the team after the launch, when everyday details become clear.
What does real participation look like during change?
In his Harvard Business Review article on resistance to change, Paul R. Lawrence described a study by Lester Coch and John R. P. French Jr. of clothing factory operators. One group was told about a new work procedure and received training. Its output fell, relations with management became strained, and workers left. Other operators discussed the proposed change and helped plan how to put it into practice. Their output dipped at first, then rose above its earlier level.
Lawrence also described an operator who worked with two engineers. The first asked her to try changes and share feedback, and he considered her ideas. They had a productive working relationship. A second engineer, who had never spoken to her before, approached her with a new part but showed little interest in what she thought. Lawrence observed that she handled the part less carefully and seemed pleased when it failed inspection.
Both engineers asked for her help, but the relationships around those requests were different. Lawrence wrote:
“Participation is a feeling on the part of people, not just the mechanical act of being called in to take part in discussions.”
A meeting can invite participation, and the way people treat one another gives that invitation meaning. When coworkers see their knowledge respected in ordinary moments, they have more reason to believe their input will matter when a change comes.
How did a call center build trust before change?
One call center had many rules, little communication, and high turnover. Its managers wanted things to improve, so they started with their own actions. They used the FISH! Philosophy to work differently with their agents.
Managers practiced Be There by checking in and responding to concerns. They used Make Their Day to offer genuine thanks and found ways to bring Play to the demanding work. In difficult moments, they also practiced Choose Your Attitude. As those daily interactions became more like a partnership, trust grew and agents began offering ideas to improve the business.
Manager Mary Hogan noticed a difference when the center needed to make changes. “It used to be that every time we wanted to make a change we had to go through these huge change management cycles,” she said. “We don’t have time for that anymore. The more trust we build with employees, the more confident they feel about the quick shifts we may need to make.”
That trust was tested when rumors of a merger surfaced. Managers kept agents updated, and the merger eventually fell through. Hogan recalled that “because of the trust that had been built, there was a calmness that boggled my mind.” The story shows how relationships built through everyday actions can help people face uncertainty together.
The call center’s managers changed their own daily habits first, and the trust they built made later changes, including a merger rumor, far easier for agents to handle.
What are examples of adapting to change in the workplace?
A few common situations show what adaptability can look like in practice:
- A team gets a new scheduling tool. An employee practices making a schedule and compares notes with a coworker. Together, they share a question with their manager before the full rollout.
- A department gains a new manager. Team members explain what is working and ask how decisions will be made. The manager listens and follows up on their ideas.
- A customer process changes. A service agent spots a step that confuses customers. Her team tests a clearer explanation within the agreed rules and shares the result.
- Two teams begin working together. Coworkers agree on how to hand off tasks and when to check in. After a week, they adjust a step that has caused delays.
Each situation calls for learning and communication. It also gives people a chance to build the relationships they will need for the next change.
Build trust one conversation at a time
Change feels more manageable when people have information, support, and a voice. The trust behind those things grows through everyday actions. At your next team meeting, ask, “What is one thing we could do to make an upcoming change easier for each other?” Listen to the answers, choose one action together, and check back on how it is going.
Try the FISH! Philosophy with your team
Give your team a way to practice these ideas together with the FISH! Philosophy upgraded trial. You will get 30 days of access to the FISH! film and its digital guides, so you can explore the practices and start building the relationships that help people navigate change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to adjust to a change at work?
There is no set timetable. The size of the change, past experiences, and available support can all affect how the adjustment feels. Check in over time as people settle in.
How can remote teams stay connected during a change?
Make time for regular check-ins and share updates where everyone can find them. Give people a way to ask questions privately, too, and follow up on what they raise.
What can I do if a change adds too much to my workload?
Bring your manager a clear picture of your tasks and the time the new work requires. Ask which priorities can shift or what help is available, so you can make a workable plan together.
How can a team handle several changes at once?
List the changes and talk about how they affect the same people and deadlines. Leaders can look for ways to space out work, set priorities, and provide support, which can help reduce change fatigue.
