A Beginning Model of Individual Change

5.14.2015Based on information by William Bridges

2

• Change is an event

• It happens outside of us

• Usually tangible & concrete

CHANGE

People don’t struggle with change itself as much as the transition

TRANSITION

Change & Transition

• Transition is our internal process

as we respond to the event.

• Usually intangible & different for

each individual

Source: Bridges “ Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change”

3

Transition: A “simple” three-stage process

Letting go of something familiar & dependable

Plunging into something new and unfamiliar;

“Hanging in mid-air” without orientation to

the past or future

FuturePast

People move through this process at different speeds and not always sequentially

Endings New Beginnings

Neutral Zone

Source: Bridges “ Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change”