Many imitators, one original (from the 80's.)
Daryl Conner's Change Commitment Curve has been copied in many places. This post clarifies the orgins of this classic, and often copied, with a word tweak or two, model.
Another rendition of it is listed in this recent blog post focused on managing resistance via Daryl Conner's 1993 book: Managing at the Speed of Change.
Daryl's research from long ago spotted consistent patterns. His model highlights a fairly predictable path organization members must travel when managing their own anxiety around change.
This path typically moves along the timeline:
- Uniformed Optimism (blissful ignorance)
- Informed Pessimism (informed anguish)
- Checking out
- Overt (public)
- Covert (private)
- Hopeful Realism (coming to terms)
- Informed Optimism (realistic support)
- Completion
Via Deb Nystrom, REVELN
Though this Change Commitment Curve was developed for internal organizational change, it mirrors classic social and behavioral #change stages -- Same goal, common stages, common barriers.