Old and New Story’s: Navigating The Gap - Where Change Actually Happens
Please ensure you read the all the articles in this sequence:
- Old and New Story's
- Old and New Story’s: Navigating the Gap, Where Change Actually Happens
- Old and New Story's: Why Business Analysts and the Change Management Team Must Collaborate
- Old and New Story's: A Practical Example of Collaboration
- The Art of Asking: Why Questions Matter in Stakeholder Interviews
Every organisational transformation involves a journey from where we are now (the Old Story) to where we want to be (the New Story). But between these two points lies something crucial that's often overlooked: The Gap.
This transitional space is where the real work of change unfolds. It's messy, uncomfortable, and absolutely essential. Understanding what happens in The Gap, and how to navigate it, can mean the difference between transformation and stagnation.
What Makes The Gap So Challenging?
The Gap is characterised by natural human reactions that emerge when people face significant change. Recognising these responses as normal rather than problematic is the first step toward managing them effectively.
Resistance and skepticism often appear first. People question whether the change is necessary, whether it will truly work, or whether it's just another passing initiative. This isn't obstinance, it's a rational response to uncertainty.
Anxiety about capability follows closely behind. Even enthusiastic team members wonder: Can I succeed in this new environment? Do I have what it takes? This self-doubt is particularly acute when the changes affect core aspects of someone's role or expertise.
Grief for what's being lost shouldn't be underestimated. The old ways, however flawed, were familiar and comfortable. People may mourn lost relationships, processes they'd mastered, or identities they'd built over years. This grief is real and deserves acknowledgment.
Confusion about expectations compounds the challenge. When the destination isn't crystal clear and the path keeps shifting, people struggle to know what's expected of them. This ambiguity can paralyze even the most capable performers.
Finally, there's inevitable testing of boundaries and commitments. People watch to see whether leadership truly means what they say. Whether the change will stick this time, and what happens to those who resist.
The Essential Work of The Gap
While these reactions are happening, critical developmental work must take place. This is where transformation becomes tangible.
Learning new skills and behaviours is the obvious requirement, but it's just the beginning. Equally important, and often more difficult, is unlearning old habits that no longer serve the new reality. These ingrained patterns can persist long after people intellectually understand they need to change.
Building new relationships and networks becomes essential as organisational structures and workflows shift. People need to establish trust and working rhythms with new colleagues, often while maintaining some old connections.
Developing trust in new systems takes time and evidence. No matter how well-designed the new processes or technologies, people need to experience their reliability firsthand before they'll fully commit to them.
Perhaps most profoundly, individuals must adjust their identity and role perception. When someone's professional identity has been built around certain expertise or responsibilities, changes that affect those elements can feel personally threatening.
Managing The Gap: Where Change Leadership Matters Most
This is where effective change management earns its value. Simply announcing a new direction and expecting people to figure it out is a recipe for failure. The Gap requires intentional, sustained support.
Strategic communication must consistently reinforce the "why" behind the change. People need repeated reminders of the compelling reasons for transformation, especially when the going gets tough. This isn't about propaganda, it's about maintaining clarity of purpose.
Structured training and practice provide the foundation for new capabilities. But training alone isn't enough. People need safe spaces to practice, fail, and improve before being expected to perform flawlessly.
Coaching and support help individuals navigate their personal change journeys. Different people struggle with different aspects of change, and personalised support makes all the difference.
Quick wins strategically deployed throughout the transition build confidence and momentum. These early successes prove that the new way can work and provide motivation to persist through harder challenges.
Feedback loops create essential two-way communication. They allow leadership to hear and address concerns before they become crises, and they give people a sense of agency in shaping the change.
Resistance management requires skill and empathy. Not all resistance is the same. Some reflects legitimate concerns that should influence the change approach, while other resistance may need more direct intervention.
Embracing The Gap
The temptation in any change initiative is to rush through The Gap as quickly as possible. Leaders want to get to the promised land of the New Story without the messy work of transition. But this approach typically backfires.
The Gap cannot be eliminated, only managed. Transformation happens in The Gap, not despite it. Organisations that acknowledge this reality, plan for it, and invest in supporting people through it are the ones whose changes actually stick.
The next time you're leading or experiencing organizational change, pay attention to The Gap. Recognize the natural reactions for what they are. Honor the work that needs to happen. Provide the support that makes success possible.
Because in the end, how you navigate The Gap determines whether your change initiative becomes a genuine transformation or just another failed attempt that people learn to wait out.
What Happens in the Gap?
Natural Reactions:
- Resistance and scepticism emerge
- Anxiety about capability to succeed
- Grief for what's being lost
- Confusion about expectations
- Testing of boundaries and commitments
Required Activities:
- Learning new skills and behaviours
- Unlearning old habits
- Building new relationships and networks
- Developing trust in new systems
- Adjusting identity and role perception
This is where change management earns its value. The Gap is managed through:
- Strategic communication, reinforcing the why
- Structured training and practice
- Coaching and support
- Quick wins to build confidence
- Feedback loops to address concerns
- Resistance management
Timeline Reality: Remember that although the technical implementation may take months, the human transition can take much longer. People move through the gap at different speeds based on their:
- Personal change readiness
- Skill level and confidence
- Degree of impact
- Quality of support received
- Trust in leadership
Please read the next article in this sequence, Old and New Story's: Why Business Analysts and the Change Management Team Must Collaborate
