The change leaders progression. In earlier video, we looked at my model for the way people go through change from an emotional negative state where they're rejecting the change to a more rational negative state, where they're actively resisting. And then if the change is good for them, they'll start to explore the positive benefits in a rational way. Finally, making the transition to an emotional and positive state where they accept the change. progression plan is simply a plan for how you're going to take people from one state to another. And if you recall, before we even entered the emotional negative state, people tend to deny that the change is going to happen.

So the first step in your progress ration plan is how are you going to create the recognition that change is absolutely going to happen and facilitate an emotional response that honors and is respectful of the emotions that people feel, and allows them to get those emotions out so that they're ready to move into the next stage. phase two of our progression plan is then to ask how are you going to encourage rational challenge of the ideas around the change? This is giving people a practical way to resist because if you don't give them the way to resist, they will find a way and they will resist there's no way you can suppress that resistance. So the best way is to plan for it. Once people have articulated their resistance and they're in a genuinely rational state, that's the point where they're going to be susceptible to rational harm.

Arguments in support of the change. So phase three is to plan for how you're going to deploy your arguments to try to stimulate this recognition that the change can be a benefit. And that the people you're speaking with, can not only survive the change, but thrive and harness its advantages for their own career and their own ambitions. And of course, it's when people connect the external changes that you're imposing, with benefits to them, perhaps even meeting their ambitions, that they will transition from that kind of rational state to a positive emotional state of accepting the change. So phase four is how are you going to make time and provide support for that transition into acceptance. So there you have it, a four stage plan.

Based on our understanding of how people naturally respond to change, you can't predict how quickly individuals will move through the change curve. But what you can do is time your program to meet the needs of the majority, and hope that there's enough flexibility in that for other people to be brought along. And of course, if you find that you're moving too quickly, and people aren't keeping up with you, you do need to flex your plan as you go. But if you use a progression plan, not only do you have a structure for planning your change program, but Pat structure fits in with the way that people naturally respond to change. That way you maximize the chances of your project plan being successful.