WHEN TRANSITIONS GO RIGHT
CHANGE AND
TRANSITION
ARE NOT
THE SAME
THING
By Dennis Easter
UNDERSTANDING THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN
CHANGE AND TRANSITION IS KEY TO SEEING A
SUSTAINABLE, TRANSFORMATIONAL OUTCOME.
F
or most people, the terms “change” and
“transition” are used interchangeably.
However, the distinction between these two
terms makes all the difference in a sustainable,
transformational outcome.
Change is usually an event, something you can
typically point to on your calendar. New job, lost
job, bought a house, new baby or loss of a loved
one. Sometimes we see them coming, but often
they come unannounced and are forced upon us.
The direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic
is an illustration of what change looks like.
Transition, on the other hand, is the more
nuanced process that we go through when
faced with change. It is an inward journey where
we move from the old to the new. It does not
happen all at once, and the timeline, while
having predictable phases, is shaped by our
individual responsiveness. The key is that until
one transitions from the old to the new, change
will not happen.
William Bridges, in his book Transitions:
Making Sense of Life’s Changes, states:
“Transition ... is psychological; it is a threephase
process that people go through as they
internalize and come to terms with the details of
the new situation that the change brings about.”
Those three phases are: Ending, Exploring
and Engaging. Ending is where you are losing
something and learning to let go. It comes with
a sense of loss and grieving. Exploring is where
you are in that in-between period of letting go
and picking up on something new. The old is
gone but the new isn’t completely formed, so
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