Change Fatigue
Is Real.

Here Are 5 Effective Strategies to Beat It.

_{Written by}

Lauren Kawalec
Contributing writer

Change Fatigue Is Real. Here Are 5 Effective Strategies to Beat It.

“The only constant in life is change.”

A timeless adage we’ve all come to learn and accept. But what do you do when the consistency of change becomes exhausting?

The last few years have brought seemingly nothing but change, including a pandemic, endless political turmoil, economic upheaval and rapid technology advancements — just to name a few.

As many can attest: We’re tired.

According to Gartner, “The average employee experienced 10 planned enterprise changes in the past 12 months alone, and they are getting fatigued.” It’s no wonder that willingness to support organisational change collapsed from 74% of employees in 2016 to just 43% in 2022.

Despite employers’ best efforts to mitigate stress, employees share a different story. In a Capterra survey of almost 1,000 U.S. employees, 83% of workers facing continuous changes say their employer has not provided enough tools or resources to help them adapt.

Change fatigue, or feelings of resistance, apathy or exhaustion toward organisational shifts, is a very real — and growing — epidemic. And it’s leading to soaring feelings of frustration and burnout among workers.

When left unmanaged, change fatigue can spread like wildfire across an organisation, diminishing employee work ethic, inciting feelings of distrust and negatively impacting company culture overall. The same Capterra survey also reported that the majority of change-fatigued employees (54%) are considering looking for a new job.

Change is inevitable. But change fatigue doesn’t have to be. Here are five ways to mitigate change fatigue and reignite inspiration at your organisation:

How often do you experience feelings of change fatigue?

Always
Very often
Sometimes
Rarely
Never

Work fast — and fail faster.

If you’re familiar with Agile principles, you may already be well-versed with the “fail fast” philosophy. In a nutshell, the fail-fast approach is designed to gather feedback quickly after starting a project to determine if it’s worth continuing or if a different approach should be taken. The concept suggests that it’s best to determine if a project isn’t working early on and avoid wasting any additional time and resources.

Agile leaders also commend the fail-fast approach for encouraging a culture of learning and rewarding those who take smart and strategic risks. Fast failing celebrates continuous learning and sees failure not as a weakness, but a strength and a vehicle to innovation.

A fail-fast mindset can prove particularly beneficial for those struggling with change fatigue, as it allows employees to conserve large amounts of effort on projects that are likely to be unsuccessful.

By cutting your losses early, you can prevent mounting feelings of exhaustion and apathy that often result from failures, which may be difficult to overcome.

By fostering a safe and fast avenue to fail, employers can manage the anxiety and fear that is frequently associated with change by encouraging experimentation and emphasising growth opportunities.

54% of change-fatigued employees reported considering looking for a new job.

Identify quick wins.

While having ambitious business goals is certainly crucial to success, identifying fast successes — or quick wins — is arguably just as important. These “low-hanging fruits” require minimal effort and resources but can yield significant benefits in a short period — quickly boosting morale and building confidence among teammates who may be feeling uninspired.

“I’ve spoken with clients who are willing to invest heavily in technology that may not solve all their problems, just to give their teams something exciting to work toward,” says Jeff Bozic, Insight Principal Architect and Distinguished Engineer. “They believe it’s valuable to provide their teams with something they believe in and are excited about.”

When employees feel like their hard work is paying off, they’re more likely to remain motivated and working toward other milestones. Crossing quick wins off the list helps team members feel accomplished, setting the mood for the remainder of the project and keeping spirits high.

Achieving quick wins should never fully replace your big-picture goals, but when implemented in a meaningful way, they can play an important role in accelerating success further, faster.

I’ve spoken with clients who are willing to invest heavily in technology that may not solve all their problems, just to give their teams something exciting to work toward.

Jeff Bozic, Insight Principal Architect and Distinguished Engineer

Pace your changes.

When an exciting new idea or project is introduced, it’s natural to want to move full speed ahead. After all, moving fast is vital to stay relevant in the ever-changing world of technology, and no one wants to get outpaced by competitors.

However, consider pumping the brakes before going full throttle. It’s necessary to be strategic about how and when you’re implementing changes to avoid overwhelming your team and adding another source of burnout.

“You don’t have to commit to a long-term project right out of the gate,” says Insight Director of Services Jeremy Nelson. “You can iterate. When you’re iterating, you can look for minimum viable products you can launch along the way. Then as you find different innovations, you can make pivots. Now you’re faced with more incremental change as opposed to wholesale replacements.”

Implementing too many changes at once can cause employees to divide their attention and ultimately become more stressed and less productive. Studies show that when our brains are constantly switching gears — especially between complex tasks that require our full attention — we become less efficient and are more likely to make mistakes.

Before putting changes into practice, it may be beneficial to ask yourself: What do teammates currently have on their plates? Are they already learning multiple things at once? Do they have enough time to focus on the tasks already at hand?

Change is hard.
We can smooth the road.

As a leading provider of process and organisation change consulting, we help you improve employee adoption and proficiency in new software, technology and processes — ensuring your transformation projects are successful and sustainable.

We can help you:

Assess your readiness and skillsets
Build a customised strategy that fits your goals and culture
Design and deliver engaging and interactive training content and materials
Provide support and coaching to reinforce learning and adoption
Measure and evaluate the impact of your change and training efforts

With Insight, change is a business driver, not a roadblock. Learn more.

Find commonalities.

We can probably all recall a time when we were finally starting to get the hang of that new technology or tool at work. And then, it changed. We’ve all been there. And it’s frustrating.

When that’s the case, it can be helpful to identify some commonalities between the old technology/framework and the new. Most likely, the time employees spent learning that new technology wasn’t a waste, and it’ll be a powerful leg up in understanding the new material.

“Nothing’s ever really built from the ground up,” says Ben Kotvis, Insight Principal Architect. “Everything is somewhat cumulative of previous initiatives. When you start to realise that and identify what’s familiar, it becomes a whole lot less overwhelming when something new comes along.”

When introduced to a new technology, see if you can identify any patterns or the common foundations that the tools are using. Understanding how a tool originated can be helpful in getting started on the right foot.

Flip the narrative.

It’s hard to say what 2024 has in store. But if this year brings even half the amount of change we’ve experienced the last few years, we better buckle up for a wild ride.

Change is inherent in the technology industry. And although the continuous developments can feel disruptive and perhaps unmanageable at times, it’s also one of the reasons why many are captivated with this fascinating field. The technology sector is dynamic and constantly evolving, ensuring you’re never bored and always on your toes.

“We can’t fight change,” says Insight Chief Technology Officer of Product Innovation Amol Ajgaonkar. “It’s going to happen, so I just accept it. Learning new tech is supposed to be exciting — we just have to learn how to handle it when it gets overwhelming.”

But how?

Jeremy Nelson grounds himself in purpose. “What helps me manage change fatigue is expanding my knowledge and looking for new ways to solve old problems,” he says. “When you think of new technology’s potential to solve real-world issues, it’s much easier to get excited and find enjoyment in the learning rather than just thinking of technology for the sake of technology.”

Leaders who truly want to combat change fatigue in their organisation must create a culture that recognises and embraces the ever-changing reality of the technology field rather than be deterred by it.

Change doesn’t have to be disruptive. Instead, use it to fuel innovation.

In his 25-year technology career, Insight Chief Enterprise Architect and CTO David McCurdy confirms change has been the only constant. He offers three rules to live by: “Embrace the change, make strategic choices regarding both technology and partners (you will spend less time fixing these), and surround yourself with people who can and want to deliver.”

Constant change is the name of the game to stay relevant, and fostering an environment where employees feel motivated and inspired by change is a groundbreaking step toward mitigating burnout.

After all, most changes in the workplace are intended to have positive impacts. Emphasising the benefits of these changes — whether they be opportunities for greater efficiency or streamlined project workflows — can be a powerful tool to reframe the conversation.

Reinspire innovation.

Discover how the leading Solutions Integrator can help you leverage change to accelerate meaningful business outcomes.

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