A continuum of change (Part 1 of a series)
by Amy S. Friend BB, CQM, Senior Member Rochester Chapter STC
This is part 1 of a series: Revel in Your Discomfort: Living With Change. An earlier version of these articles was published in the Proof Sheet newsletter of the Rochester Chapter of STC, beginning in November, 1996.
I keep waiting for the pace of life to slow down. Change is constant, with no end in sight. This can be overwhelming. This past year (1995), I participated in a workshop called “Living In Turbulent Times” on coping with change. I found some of the principles helpful when dealing with change both at work and at home. In this series I will share with you some change concepts. I hope this will help you to organize your thinking about change and give you a few strategies to handle it.
Tannenbaum’s Change Continuum
Superficial > Incremental > Continuous > Transformational
Robert Tannenbaum describes four categories of change in his model:
Superficial change is any kind of change that we perceive as cosmetic. This change does not substantially impact us and doesn’t require us to reorient our thinking in any significant way. Some examples include: a hair cut, change to a new office, or a new responsibility within our current job.
Incremental change happens in small pieces or steps. The small increments allow us to adjust to the change a little at a time. Some examples include: changes in tax laws, a promotion at work, or getting a raise.
Continuous change is steady and constant. It results in fairly high impact but doesn’t seem overwhelming because we can see the progression. Some examples of continuous change include: growing older, children growing in height, losing or gaining weight, learning, and pregnancy.
Transformational change is dramatic and can be overwhelming. This kind of change may happen suddenly or overnight. It impacts our emotions. Some examples of transformational change include: layoffs, death, marriage, war, birth, divorce, or career changes.
Given the same change, we may each categorize the change differently. For example, a job change to someone who has worked for the same company for the last 20 years may seem transformational to that person. The same job change may feel incremental or superficial to someone else who has been a contractor for a long time. How we perceive change is personal. It has more to do with us as individuals than the change itself.