Is change fatigue stalling growth?

Back in the early 2000s, Nike embarked on a project to implement a new ERP system based on i2 Technologies software. The aim was to improve inventory management, demand forecasting and order fulfilment.

The project was budgeted at $40 million and scheduled for 18 months. After a series of difficulties including software bugs, data errors and integration failures, the project cost Nike $100 million in sales. Missing quarterly earnings and facing a class-action lawsuit from shareholders, it became one of the most famous examples of a digital transformation failure.

With transformation defining the decade, driving both disruption and progress, we need to understand the demands of reinvention.

Unrealistic goals, inadequate leadership, poor management and resistance to change are some of the most common pitfalls. Beneath the excitement, acronyms and agile frameworks lurks another problem: change fatigue.

This pervasive weariness towards constant reinvention can threaten organisational growth and cost you some of the people you most need to deliver it.

The culprits

Change fatigue rarely comes from one big announcement. Often, it's the accumulation of change that wears people down.

• Death by a thousand cuts: Large-scale disruption might grab the headlines, but the daily grind of adapting to new managers, processes and workflows can have your team scanning job boards.
• Failed changes: When initiatives repeatedly falter, employees lose faith and become more resistant to whatever comes next.
• Sudden, unplanned changes: Limited communication and unclear planning breed anxiety and confusion.
• The relentless pace: An unending stream of new initiatives can leave people feeling overwhelmed.
• Poor leadership: Top-down decisions, inadequate communication and limited employee buy-in create resentment and disengagement.
• Meaningless change: Initiatives that lack a clear purpose or tangible benefit can quickly breed cynicism.
• Neglecting the human element: People have anxieties, pressures and limits. Ignore those for long enough and burnout starts to become part of the transformation story.

The price of perpetual change

Harvard Business Review sounded the alarm about change exhaustion back in 2022, arguing that leaders need to recognise it as an organisational issue rather than leaving individuals to find their own ways to become more resilient.

Change can backfire spectacularly when it leads to:

• Decreased enthusiasm: Proactive people become cynical, apathetic or withdrawn and start looking elsewhere.
• Burnout: Emotional exhaustion, waning motivation and feelings of helplessness begin to take hold.
• Rising resistance: New initiatives are increasingly met with fear, anxiety or opposition.
• Eroding trust: Limited transparency and ineffective communication create suspicion and negativity.

Andy MacEwan, Head of Digital Change & Transformation at Denholm Associates, has seen the difference experienced leadership can make:

“Whether you're at the beginning of your transformation programme or you're in the middle of it, the most important thing to remember is this is more people management than project management.

Over the last 20 years, I've been brought in at various stages of these projects and appointing the right leadership, with lived experience of all the ups and downs, is essential.”

The Cady Formula

Fortunately, we're not powerless against this fatigue.

There are some interesting examples of businesses approaching the human side of change differently. Vodafone has used real-time sentiment analysis to identify employees who may need extra support during busy shifts, while Nestlé has allowed employees to choose preferred methods for adapting to new workflows, giving people greater involvement in the process.

Change management expert William Cady, who has consulted with organisations including NASA, General Motors and Ford on change, innovation and collaboration, developed an update to David Gleicher's change formula for overcoming resistance:

D × V × F × S > R

• Dissatisfaction (D): Recognising the need for change
• Vision (V): Having a clear picture of the desired future state
• First Steps (F): Taking immediate, concrete actions towards the vision
• Supports (S): Providing the resources and assistance needed to sustain the change
• Resistance (R): The obstacles and negativity that need to be overcome

Let's go back to an ERP implementation, the kind of significant change that can affect almost every department in a business.

How could the Cady model help?

D × V: Dissatisfaction × Vision

Start with the frustrations of the current system. Where is it creating inefficiency, errors or unnecessary work? People need to understand why the current state needs to change.

Then give them a clear picture of what comes next. How will the new ERP improve operations, data accuracy or productivity? Crucially, what will that future mean for the people expected to work within it?

F: First Steps

An initial pilot within a smaller department can give people hands-on experience of the new system and create an opportunity for feedback before a wider rollout.

That first step demonstrates progress while reducing some of the anxiety around the unknown.

S: Supports

Training and accessible resources help people become familiar with the new system. A dedicated support team also gives employees somewhere to take questions and technical issues as they arise.

People are far more likely to engage with change when they feel equipped to deal with it.

R: Resistance

Some resistance may remain. People may be worried about automation, learning unfamiliar technology or whether the project will succeed at all.

Open communication matters here. Leaders need to understand those concerns, explain what is changing and why, and give people clear ways to ask questions and provide feedback.

By addressing both the emotional and practical sides of change, organisations can create a more supportive environment for transformation and reduce unnecessary attrition along the way.

Fuelling transformation, not fatigue

So what can leaders actually do?

1. Make change human. Involve employees, listen to concerns and understand how the transformation will affect their working lives.
2. Be clear about the value. Prioritise changes that address real needs and explain what successful transformation should achieve.
3. Communicate openly and often. Share the roadmap, explain why decisions are being made and create opportunities for dialogue.
4. Build support around people. Give employees the training, resources and time they need to adapt.
5. Make progress visible. Recognising milestones can help people see that the effort involved in change is leading somewhere.

Successful transformation depends on people understanding where they're going, trusting the people leading them and having the support to get there.

That is a considerable leadership challenge. Experienced transformation leaders bring the advantage of having seen the difficult stages before: resistance, uncertainty, competing priorities and the point where enthusiasm starts to run out.

Give your transformation the leadership it needs

Denholm works with organisations to find experienced people who can lead technology, change and transformation when the stakes are high and the route ahead is complex.

Explore our Digital, Change & Transformation expertise, learn more about Contract, Interim & Fractional support, or explore our approach to Executive Search.

If change is putting new demands on your leadership team or you need experienced people to keep a transformation moving, call us on 03303 359 818 or email connect@denholmassociates.com.

 

You might also be wondering...

How can you tell the difference between change fatigue and resistance to a particular change?

Look at the pattern. Resistance to one initiative may be driven by specific concerns about that change. Fatigue is more likely to appear across multiple initiatives. If people who previously engaged with change are becoming increasingly sceptical regardless of what is being proposed, the cumulative pressure may be the bigger problem.

Should you slow a transformation down if people are experiencing change fatigue?

Sometimes the better answer is to change the sequence. Look at which initiatives genuinely depend on each other, where teams are under the greatest pressure and what lower-priority activity could wait. Protecting people's capacity for the changes that matter most can help maintain momentum.

When should you bring in an interim transformation leader?

Interim leadership can be particularly useful when a programme reaches a stage that requires experience the existing team does not have, when a senior leader leaves during delivery or when additional leadership is needed for a defined period. The brief should be clear about the outcome the interim leader is there to deliver and the authority they will have to deliver it.

Can hiring during a transformation make change fatigue worse?

It can create additional uncertainty if responsibilities and reporting lines are unclear. The right appointment can also relieve pressure by bringing experienced leadership, skills or capacity into the organisation. Explain why the person is joining, what they will own and how their role fits into the wider transformation.

We saw this first-hand when Cumberland Building Society needed to replace its Head of Change midway through a major transformation. With more than 70 colleagues sitting across the Change function and significant technology and digital programmes already underway, the appointment had to provide continuity while quickly establishing credibility with the people already delivering the change.

How do you assess whether a transformation leader can bring people with them?

Explore the difficult moments in their previous programmes. Ask how they dealt with resistance, communicated unpopular decisions, built credibility with sceptical stakeholders and adapted when people were struggling. Those moments often reveal more about someone's leadership than the polished summary of a successful transformation.

What should a new transformation leader do when they inherit a programme already underway?

Understand the history before deciding what comes next. That means looking at the original objectives, decisions already made, the current delivery position, stakeholder relationships and where confidence may have been lost. Early credibility often comes from listening well, identifying what genuinely needs attention and giving people clarity about the next priorities.