WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY ABOUT EMOTIONAL CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT TOOLS

"Changes in organizations influence the members of the organization. Changes in organizations call issues of safety into question requiring that people find new processes to assure their emotional security. The tools of change need to incorporate tools that address these shifts in emotional security.

"In the classic military and factory models of the workplace the emotional well-being of workers was not a significant issue. Employees did their work and went home. Any outburst of emotion was dealt with as a disciplinary problem. In modern organizations companies need the creativity and full potential of every person. They cannot afford to waste any resources. Emotionally unhealthy workplaces waste creativity, collaboration and intelligence. Staff that carry significant unresolved emotion may waste valuable creativity, collaboration and intelligence. ” B. Edward Bohart, Ed.D., Community College Director of Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound, Astoria, Oregon..

Examples of Business Change

Changes, small and large	Moving the Pens
Remodeling/Painting	Changing Letterhead/Logos
Outsourcing/Downsizing	Re-Sizing/Layoffs
Awards/Loss of Awards	Losses
Personal Tragedies	Catastrophic Trauma
Organizational Change	Project Groupings
Furniture Arrangements	Access to People/Information
Redefinitions of Tasks	New Administration
Illness of a Co-worker	Death of Co-worker
Suicide/Murder of Co-worker	Rumors of Changes
Marriages/Divorces/Affairs	Computer Upgrades
Natural Disasters	Economic Changes
Hirings and Firings	Policy Shifts
Local/National/International News Events	A New Custodian
A New Water Cooler	Resizing
Technology glitch	Scandal

How to Evaluate Employee Readiness for Change

Does your employee:

Believe the change is necessary?	Yes	No
Fear the change?	Yes	No
Think management doesn't care?	Yes	No
Fear consequences of the change?	Yes	No
Believe the change will happen?	Yes	No
Perceive they are being exploited?	Yes	No
Disagree with the timing?	Yes	No
Agree with the change?		Yes	No
Support the change?	Yes	No
Respect change leadership?	Yes	No
Make contribution to change making choices?	Yes	No
Receive encouragement to change?	Yes	No
Get support for normal resistance?	Yes	No
Understand grief and loss with change?	Yes	No
Believe emotions are appropriate at work?	Yes	No
Express extreme anger or fear?	Yes	No
Lack confidence or skills to change?	Yes	No
See management as Us or Them?	Yes	No
Understand all the details of the change?	Yes	No
Feel lost in rumors and vague information?	Yes	No
Know the details of timing?	Yes	No
Have clear understanding of expectations?	Yes	No
Have opportunity to separate tasks from feelings?	Yes	No
See an end point in sight?	Yes	No
Feel they are in the loop?	Yes	No
Care?	Yes	No
Enjoy chaos?	Yes	No
Demand change?	Yes	No
Understand policy and procedure?	Yes	No
Have their own support network?	Yes	No
Feel welcomed into decision making meetings?	Yes	No
Trust management?	Yes	No
Feel prepared?	Yes	No
Feel open to complain without consequence?	Yes	No
Expect a celebration at the end of the change?	Yes	No