{"id":22088,"date":"2022-02-24T11:01:56","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T11:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whatfix.com\/blog\/?p=22088"},"modified":"2026-01-22T12:39:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T12:39:34","slug":"kubler-ross-change-curve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whatfix.com\/blog\/kubler-ross-change-curve\/","title":{"rendered":"The K\u00fcbler Ross Change Curve in the Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Change initiatives often stall not because of strategy or technology but because of human response. The K\u00fcbler-Ross Change Curve, originally conceived as a grief model, has been widely adapted in change management<\/a> to map emotion over time, from denial to acceptance. In organizational settings, it helps change leaders anticipate resistance, tailor communications, and design interventions that meet individuals where they are.<\/p>\n

In 2026, accelerated disruption, AI adoption, and continuous transformation are raising the stakes for managing change well. According to a report, the rate of change impacting businesses has increased by 183%<\/a> over the past four years, and 52% of C-suite leaders admit they are not fully prepared for this accelerating pace.<\/p>\n

These signals confirm that change leaders must go beyond process, they must understand the emotional journey of change if they hope to secure adoption, minimize backsliding, and protect productivity. In this article, we define the Change Curve, explain its stages, highlight its benefits and limitations, and show how Whatfix helps organizations apply it to accelerate adoption and reduce resistance.<\/p>\n

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What is the K\u00fcbler-Ross Change Curve?<\/h2>\n

The K\u00fcbler-Ross Change Curve is a psychological model that describes how people typically respond to major change. It was originally introduced by psychiatrist Elisabeth K\u00fcbler-Ross in 1969 as part of her work on the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Over time, change management practitioners adapted the framework to organizational contexts to explain how employees experience and process workplace change.<\/p>\n

In a business setting, the Change Curve is used to:<\/p>\n

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  • Anticipate emotional reactions employees may have when faced with new technologies, processes, or strategies.<\/li>\n
  • Design targeted interventions such as communications, training, and coaching to address resistance.<\/li>\n
  • Guide leaders and managers in providing the right support at each stage, helping people move more quickly from resistance toward acceptance and commitment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    It\u2019s important to note that the Change Curve is not a strict linear path. Employees may skip stages, move back and forth between them, or experience several at once. Still, as a high-level model, it offers valuable insight into the human side of transformation, which is often the determining factor in whether a change initiative succeeds or stalls.<\/p>\n

    \"change-curve-example\"<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    5 Stages of the K\u00fcbler Ross\u2019 Change Curve Model<\/h2>\n

    Here are the five stages of natural emotional responses highlighted in the K\u00fcbler Ross’ Change Curve Model:<\/p>\n

    \"5<\/p>\n

    1. Denial<\/h3>\n

    The first stage is shock, followed by denial. In this stage of the change curve, an individual develops defense mechanisms to deflect the actual occurrence of the change.<\/p>\n

    This leads to a steep decline in productivity as employees cling to past processes or individual expectations, leading to a disconnect from reality. This is typically due to a lack of information on the change, being comfortable with the status quo, feeling threatened, and fearing failure or doing something wrong.<\/p>\n

    This stage is typically short-lived. However, the shock and denial period can be extended if employees are inexperienced with change or have convinced themselves the change will not happen.<\/p>\n

    Constant, clear, and transparent communication is key to overcoming the challenges of the denial stage.<\/p>\n

    2. Anger<\/h3>\n

    When the reality of change sinks in, it\u2019s manifested in the form of fear or anger. Any change initiative has the potential to spiral out of control in this stage, resulting in significant change failures.<\/p>\n

    Reactions in this stage may be accurate, as employees may be exposed to risks associated with the implementation or new workloads they must take on. Many times, employees will fear unwarranted or irrational consequences of the change<\/p>\n

    3. Bargaining<\/h3>\n

    Once an individual crosses the anger stage of the change curve, they attempt to salvage the situation by exploring the path of least objection. They may try to negotiate and find a compromise.<\/p>\n

    This stage may increase productivity as employees feel they can negotiate the reality of change, but it’s short-lived. This is due to employees fixating on small, day-to-day tasks and not looking at the overall bigger picture and importance of the change.<\/p>\n

    4. Depression<\/h3>\n

    In the depression stage, a person loses hope entirely. There are signs of extreme sadness, apathy, isolation, regret, and demotivation. Productivity becomes the lowest at this stage.<\/p>\n

    It’s critical to support employees at this stage in two key ways:<\/p>\n

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    • Reassuring employees that this is normal and others in the organization have the same emotions and feelings.<\/li>\n
    • Build an individualized plan showing employees you will support them as they navigate this difficult time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      5. Acceptance<\/h3>\n

      In the final stage of the change curve, individuals come to terms with the change. Their inhibitions are lowered, they accept the change, and they start to explore new favorable opportunities that result from it. Once employees accept the change, you must cement it into your organizational culture to avoid reverting to old habits.<\/p>\n

      Employees who have resisted the change begin to show excitement for new opportunities and relief that they’re on the other side of the emotional change journey. They feel that progress has been made and new levels of trust have been built with their peers and organizational leadership.<\/p>\n