- Organisational change involves psychological transition: people do not move instantly from old to new, they move through distinct psychological phases.
- Each phase has distinct neural correlates – and change fails when leaders force change onto brains that are not receptive.
- This is Principle 3 of my ‘REWIRE Model’ a brain-based toolkit to create lasting positive change in your team or organisation.
PRINCIPLE 3: NEURAL STATES IN TRANSITION
The human brain is a meaning-making system. One of its core jobs is to create a coherent explanation for what is happening and how to respond.
When change occurs, existing mental models are disrupted, and the brain attempts to rebuild coherence. This takes times, and happens in phases.
William Bridges studied thousands of people going through major transitions and identified a three-phase pattern: Ending → Middle → New Beginning.
These are best understood as distinct psychological stages, but it’s important to note that each stage involves different brain networks too:
Ending: Characterised by loss, sadness, anger, and anxiety. The amygdala dominates as the brain processes threat and grief.
Middle: Characterised by confusion, disorientation, and vulnerability. The executive network (prefrontal cortex) works to learn new patterns while managing cognitive load.
New Beginning: Characterised by energy, purpose, and confidence. The basal ganglia begin encoding new behaviours as habits.
This neural variance helps explain why people forced to skip or rush through the Ending phase typically show higher rates of resistance, failure and regression. And why leaders who deliberately manage transitions typically achieve better outcomes than those who push for rapid adoption.
THE BOTTOM LINE
This neural variance helps explain why people forced to skip or rush through the Ending phase typically show higher rates of resistance, failure and regression. And why leaders who deliberately manage transitions typically achieve better outcomes than those who push for rapid adoption.
WHAT TO DO
Do these things to meet people where they are psychologically, and give them what they need:
1) Actively assess where people are on their transition journey.
Don’t assume everyone is in the same place. Ask: “Are people still asking ‘why is this happening?’ (ending), ‘how do I do this?’ (middle), or ‘is this the new normal?’ (new beginnings)?” Target support to actual state, not desired state.
2) Use diagnostic conversations to understand individual barriers and readiness.
Regular one-on-one conversations reveal where each person genuinely is, and what they need to move forward.
3) Provide different support and training for different phases.
During endings: focus on communication, acknowledgment, and emotional validation. During the middle: structure, training, coaching, and psychological safety. During new beginnings: recognition, reinforcement, and opportunities to help others.
4) Sequence interventions to match people’s psychological readiness.
Training delivered while the brain is still in threat mode is wasted. Delay skills training until people have a genuine desire to learn. Organisational timelines and psychological timelines rarely align, and building realistic timeframes that honour human transition needs is difficult.
5) Help people make meaning, not just plans.
Use team discussions: “What are you feeling? What do you need right now?” Explain what the change means for roles, identity, and ways of working.
6) Honour endings with closure rituals, and name and normalise the middle.
Design specific acts that mark the ending: a final team meeting in the old format, a celebration of what the old way achieved. Name the “in-between” phase explicitly and reassure people that confusion and mixed emotions are normal.
DIAGNOSTIC QUESTIONS
- Do we know where different groups are in their transition journey?
- Have we sequenced our interventions to match human readiness?
- Are we providing different types of support for different transition phases?
- Have we created space and time for sense-making?
- Do managers have the time and skills to hold emotional conversations?
- How can we honour endings with proper closure rituals?
RED FLAGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Watch for these patterns – they signal you’ve got some work to do:
🚩 Training participants can’t recall or apply content delivered just weeks earlier – indicating it was delivered before cognitive readiness
🚩 People remain stuck in the ending phase months after the announcement, still asking “why” and expressing grief
🚩 Managers feel pressure to “move people along faster” from senior leadership
🚩 Regression occurs after initial progress, people adopt briefly, then revert
🚩 Different teams are at wildly different stages, but interventions are standardised
🚩 Sense-making conversations aren’t happening – managers jump straight to “here’s what to do”
YOUR TURN:
- Do you know what stage your teams are at?
- Which of the above actions will you now implement?
- Share this with other leaders navigating change.
