Embracing change
Embracing change in the workplace means moving beyond simply accepting that change is happening and actively leading people through it.
For managers, this means communicating honestly, bringing their teams into the thinking process, and addressing resistance early before it hardens into disengagement.
Most organisations announce change. Far fewer embed it. The difference almost always comes down to the managers in the middle, the people responsible for translating a strategic decision into something their teams can understand, accept, and act on.
Why embracing change is hard for managers
Embracing change isn't something you either have or don't have. It is a set of skills and behaviours you can develop, and for many managers, it runs directly against the instincts that got them promoted in the first place.
Most managers are promoted for their technical competence, their ability to deliver, solve problems, and be the person with the answer. Change disrupts exactly that foundation. When certainty disappears, so does the thing that made them feel capable. This is often experienced less as resistance and more as caution, a quiet reluctance to commit fully to something that removes the ground they usually stand on.
Carol Dweck's research on growth mindset is useful here: managers who see their own capability as something that develops through effort, rather than a fixed trait, adapt to change considerably better than those who don't. The limiting beliefs that hold managers back during change are rarely spoken aloud, but they shape behaviour all the same.
'What it means to Embrace Change' goes into this in more depth, including Marshall Goldsmith's work on why the skills that make someone successful in one role can actively work against them in the next.
Understanding the Change Curve
One of the most useful frameworks for understanding how people respond to change is the change curve, adapted from Dr Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's 1969 model of the five stages of grief and applied to organisational change (Prosci).
It maps the emotional journey people typically move through when facing significant change, and it's one of the most searched change management concepts precisely because managers recognise it the moment they see it.
Denial. The change doesn't feel real yet, or people assume it won't actually affect them.
Anger. Frustration surfaces once the reality sets in, often directed at the process, the timing, or the people delivering the message.
Bargaining. People look for ways to negotiate, delay, or carve out an exception for themselves.
Depression. As the implications become clear, energy and engagement dip, sometimes visibly, sometimes not.
Acceptance. People begin to adapt, re-engage, and find their footing in the new reality.
The value of the change curve isn't in predicting exactly how someone will move through it, people don't progress through these stages neatly or in order. It's in giving a manager a way to recognise what they're seeing without assuming it's personal, or a sign the change is failing. Someone stuck in anger three weeks in isn't necessarily resistant to the change itself, they may simply be earlier in the process than the timeline assumes.
This is exactly the kind of pattern Bravyn helps managers think through in the moment, recognising where a team member actually is, rather than where the project plan says they should be.
Why This Matters Beyond the Individual Manager
BCG's 2020 research, drawn from its own transformation projects and a survey of over 800 senior executives, found that only around 30% of transformations meet their intended targets. The causes are rarely technical. They sit with the managers expected to carry the change into their teams, and with how well organisations prepare them to do it.
That preparation gap is compounded by a wider one. Research from the Chartered Management Institute and YouGov found that 82% of people entering a management role in the UK have had no formal management or leadership training.
Change amplifies whatever gap already exists. A manager who was already unsure how to have a difficult conversation now needs to have several, often without the training or space to prepare for them. 'Embracing Change in Business' sets out the fuller case for why this is where change investment is most often missing.
Brave Conversations
Brave conversations are central to leading change well. The ability to have timely, honest conversations about what is changing, what it means for individuals, and what support is available is one of the most important things a manager can do during a period of change.
Bravyn helps managers prepare for these conversations before they happen, thinking through the likely reactions, considering the other perspective, and arriving with greater clarity and confidence than they would have otherwise.
'How Do Leaders Manage Change Effectively' covers this in full, including how to communicate through change, build momentum, and follow through once the initial announcement has faded.
FAQ
What does embracing change mean in the workplace?
Why do managers struggle with change?
How do you reduce resistance to change?
Resistance reduces when people feel heard, informed and involved. Managers who take time to understand concerns and involve others address it more quickly and effectively.
This means listening actively, answering honestly and involving people in shaping the change where possible.
What is the change curve, and how does it help?
How can coaching help managers lead change?
Coaching helps managers develop the self-awareness and communication skills that effective change leadership requires. It creates space to think through how to approach specific situations, prepare for difficult conversations, and reflect on what is and is not working.
Bravyn provides this kind of support through AI-assisted coaching conversations, available to managers at the point when they actually need to think something through.
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