21926 Chap.6 Bridges' Transition Model
Bridges' Transition Model
Change is not transition
Bridges’ model shifts attention from the organisation to the people inside it.
The Week 3 lecture treats that as its main strength: change is an external event that happens to people whether they agree or not, while transition is the internal process of coming to terms with it, and transition usually runs much more slowly.
Three overlapping stages
People first have to let go of what is ending, which brings fear, anger, sadness and a sense of loss.
They then cross a neutral zone of confusion, heavier workload and low morale that can also be a time of creativity. Finally they reach a new beginning marked by energy, new skills and early wins.
Each person moves at a different pace, and the lecture admits nobody can say exactly when one stage ends, so we read the stages as overlapping.
How far the model goes
The lecture asks whether Bridges is parsimonious, falsifiable and predictive, and then sets out its limits: it focuses on the individual, says little about the organisational context or how to manage each stage, and cannot say when one stage ends.
Evidence supports the first two stages more than the third. Use it alongside a model that sees structure and power, so that both the people and the organisation are covered.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Change as an external event
- 02
Transition as an internal process
- 03
Endings and letting go
- 04
The neutral zone as a bridge
- 05
New beginnings and early wins
- 06
Limits of an individual focus
Worked example · free
Place three reactions in Bridges' three stages
- 1The clerk is still in the ending stage: her talk is about what has been lost. Acknowledge the loss openly, for example by marking the old gate’s closure, rather than telling her to move on.
- 1The dispatcher is in the neutral zone: unsure of roles but experimenting. Give her an interim rule for rejected bookings and invite her workaround into the redesign, using the creativity this stage allows.
- 1The supervisor has reached a new beginning: energy, new skills and ideas. Recognise his early wins and use him to support colleagues who are further behind.
Key terms
- Psychological Transition
- In Bridges’ model, the inner process by which a person comes to terms with a change, usually slower than the change itself.
- Ending Stage
- Bridges’ first stage, where people let go of a familiar role, team or routine and often feel loss, fear or anger.
- New Beginning
- Bridges’ final stage, marked by acceptance, renewed energy, new skills and the first visible wins under the new arrangement.
- Reaction Curve
- A picture of emotional response over time after unwelcome change, drawn from Kubler-Ross, running from denial through anger and depression to acceptance.
- Letting Go
- Accepting that something valued is over, which Bridges treats as the condition for accepting what replaces it.
Bridges' Transition Model FAQ
What is the difference between change and transition?
Change is the external event, such as a new structure, system or location, and it can happen quickly. Transition is what happens in people’s minds as they adjust, and it is usually slower. Bridges argues that managers who plan only the change and assume the transition will follow are often surprised by lingering resistance.
What happens in the neutral zone?
It links the old way to the new one. People are often confused, impatient and uncertain about their role, morale and productivity can dip, and workloads rise while new systems are learned. The lecture also calls it a time of creativity and renewal, so it is a good moment to invite new ideas.
Why do people resist during the ending stage?
Because they are being asked to give up something they are comfortable with, whether a job, colleagues, a place or a way of working. Fear, denial, anger, sadness and disorientation are common. If managers do not acknowledge these feelings, the lecture warns, resistance tends to continue throughout the change.
What are the main limitations of Bridges' model?
It concentrates on the individual’s emotional journey and says little about the organisational context. It offers limited guidance on managing each stage and no clear test of when one stage ends and the next begins, since people differ in how they react and recover. Evidence also supports the first two stages better than the third.
Can Bridges be combined with other models?
Yes, and its gaps suggest it should be. Because it explains the human side of change but not structure, power or strategy, it pairs naturally with an organisation-level model such as Kotter or the 7S framework, which say what managers must do while Bridges explains how people experience it.
Assessment move
Write the three stages across the top of a page and, under each, list the feelings and the management actions the lecture links to it. Then recall a change you lived through, at work or in study, and mark which stage you were in at one month, three months and six months; note what helped or would have helped. That exercise makes the overlap between stages concrete.
Next, take one critique point, such as the missing organisational context, and write two sentences showing how it would affect an analysis of a specific change. Finally, practise pairing Bridges with one organisation-level model so you can explain what each contributes. Revisit the list after Week 9, when resistance is taught, and note where the two topics meet.
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