If you’ve ever introduced a new tool and felt like you unleashed a minor workplace apocalypse… you’re not wrong.
The Kubler Ross Change Curve saw that reaction coming. This model breaks down the emotional rollercoaster your team rides when faced with change. Understanding it might not make people instantly compliant—but it will make your life a lot easier.
The Kubler Ross Change Curve is one of the most widely recognized management models for understanding the emotional responses people have to change. It helps us navigate what’s really going on beneath the surface when a team is asked to do something new—whether that’s a tool, a workflow, or a complete system overhaul.
The model is based on the five stages of grief, introduced by Swiss American psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler Ross in her work with terminally ill patients. Those stages—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—don’t just apply to grief. They show up any time people lose something familiar, including how they’ve always worked.
The change curve kubler ross model gives us a framework for understanding those emotions, so we can actually support our team members instead of just expecting them to adjust on command.
When you introduce change, even if it’s clearly a good thing, some people are going to struggle. The change curve Kubler Ross model lets us meet people where they are emotionally, instead of expecting them to leap to productivity.
Think of it as a map. It doesn’t predict how fast someone will move through it. But it gives us the lay of the land.
Let’s break it down.
People in this stage might ignore the change entirely. You’ll hear comments like:
The emotional response here is self-protection. It feels safer to pretend nothing is happening. Denial can look like silence in meetings, minimal engagement with training, or brushing off the need for new tools.
Make the change real, but not overwhelming. Communicate clearly and consistently. Highlight what’s changing and what isn’t. Show examples. Reinforce the message with interactive walkthroughs or short, in-app tips that meet them right in the flow of work.
Anger doesn’t always show up as yelling. Sometimes it looks like sarcasm, eye-rolling, or passive resistance. Team members in this stage might say:
There’s a sense of loss of control. And they’re right—something is changing without their permission.
Let them be mad. Don’t argue. Just listen and acknowledge the emotional response. Provide safe spaces for feedback. And be consistent with your message. Empathy first, clarity second.
Stage 3 bargaining sounds like negotiation. People try to cling to the familiar while testing out the new. They might say:
They want to feel like they still have some say.
Offer controlled choices. Let them explore the new system at their pace. Give them options within the structure of change. This is where personalized onboarding and self-serve resources make a huge impact.
Now it sinks in. This is really happening. And it’s exhausting.
This stage often shows up as:
Even confident people can feel stuck here.
Normalize the dip. Reassure them that struggling doesn’t mean failure. Provide quick wins, visible progress, and low-effort help. In-app help tips or short video guides can make it easier to take the next step without asking for help out loud.
This is the final stage. They’re not just okay with the change—they’re starting to make it their own.
You’ll see:
Celebrate this shift. Encourage peer-to-peer support. Highlight their efforts. Show them how to keep growing within the new system. Make advanced resources available and keep reinforcing their progress.
Here’s the reality: not everyone moves through the Kubler Ross Change Curve at the same speed. Some skip stages. Some linger. Some bounce back and forth.
We can’t force people through the curve. But we can make sure they never feel abandoned on it.
That means designing support that adapts to each stage. If someone’s in denial, they need visibility. If they’re in depression, they need emotional safety. Our job is to understand the emotions and create space for them to move forward.
Supporting employees through change is not about pushing harder. It’s about creating pathways.
Ask yourself:
Every interaction matters. Every point of friction adds emotional weight. And every ounce of clarity makes the journey a little easier.
VisualSP is designed for moments exactly like these.
When someone is in denial, they’re not going to search the intranet. They’ll ignore an email. But they will see an in-app tip that shows up right when they need it.
When someone is stuck in stage 3 bargaining, they need a walkthrough that helps them safely explore the new without fear of messing something up.
And when someone is in the depression phase, they benefit from bite-sized, searchable help that meets them right where they’re struggling.
Here’s how VisualSP shows up across the Kubler Ross change curve:
Interactive walkthroughs guide users step-by-step without overwhelming them.
Searchable, in-context articles are there the moment they hit a wall.
In-app help tips gently nudge them forward without disrupting their workflow.
User behavior analytics let you see where people are struggling—so you can adapt your support before frustration turns into resistance.
Screen recordings and usage data give you a window into the actual experience, not just assumptions.
The final stage of the Kubler Ross model is about ownership. VisualSP helps employees not just get through the change—but grow into it.
Want to support your team through every emotional step of change?
Start free with VisualSP’s base package.It’s everything you need to turn friction into flow.
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