Navigating Transitions in Management

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Transitions are an integral part of any manager's journey, and they can often feel chaotic and overwhelming. Yet, understanding that these experiences are a normal part of growth is crucial for any leader. This article aims to normalise the emotional and professional turbulence that comes with transitions, helping managers better navigate these periods of change. By working with the wave of transition rather than fighting against it, managers can come out stronger, more resilient, and better prepared for their new roles.

1. Understanding Transitions: The Personal and Professional Interplay

A transition is a period of significant change that forces individuals to shift their mindset, behaviour, and often their identity. For a manager, transitions may take the form of a job promotion, moving to a new company or department, managing a larger team or project, or even changing their entire professional identity. These changes require new skills, come with more or different responsibilities, and need shifted or completely new ways of thinking.

However, transitions are not limited to professional life; they also occur in personal realms—such as marriage, parenthood, or relocation. Other times life chooses for us and we are forced into transitions that nobody likes: separations, loss of a dear one, loss of status or even loss of our health or our body integrity.

Transitions do not wait to show up in our lives. They happen continuously. It is said that in our current modern lifestyle, people enter a transition every 12 to 18 months. And that the average duration of a transition is 3 to 5 years. This means we live in a constant form of transition, and it is common for us to go through different parallel transitions at the same time. How that is possible?

Picture these situations I worked with:

1. A tech lead had just been promoted to his first management position with a team of 6 people, while being detached from a business unit to another one in a foreign country, almost at the same time as getting married and starting a family.

2. A senior scientist who finished her PhD research two years ago and consequentially was promoted to her first leadership position finds out she is going to become a mom for the first time.

3. A seasoned CEO who runs a business in extremely tough market conditions and navigates at a personal level the difficulties of having a parent in palliative care.

Take a look around you. Almost everyone in your close circle is going through some kind of transition, including you. Things may seem stable at work, but on a personal level, changes might be even more noticeable. One of the most relentless transitions we all experience is simply the passage of time. It’s hard to notice the gradual changes we go through physically and mentally, but you’ve probably experienced meeting an old friend from university or a previous job and thinking, "Wow, they’ve really changed."

Still, what is often overlooked is how personal transitions can deeply affect a manager's professional performance. Consider a manager who has recently become a parent. This life event, while joyous, adds new layers of responsibility, emotional stress, and time management challenges. These pressures do not stay confined to home life—they seep into the workplace. A manager struggling with sleepless nights or balancing new family duties may find it difficult to maintain their usual performance levels at work. Decision-making might be slower, focus may waver, and emotional resilience might be lower. These personal transitions can have a ripple effect on how managers approach their professional roles, making both areas feel more overwhelming.

Similarly, a manager going through a significant professional transition, such as being promoted to a new or larger leadership role, may experience stress and uncertainty that affects their personal life. The role shift should not be big. Still, the increased demands and responsibilities at work may leave less time for family, hobbies, and self-care, causing frustration and imbalance. This interplay between personal and professional transitions is crucial to recognize because managing one without acknowledging the other can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and overall dissatisfaction.

Awareness is the first step. Managers need to recognize the secondary impacts that personal transitions have on their professional lives and vice versa. Ignoring these links can make transitions feel even more chaotic and unmanageable. By accepting that these two areas of life are interconnected, managers can better prepare themselves emotionally and practically for the journey ahead.

Transitions often follow a common trajectory, whether they are personal or professional. To normalise their understanding, I would like to share with you two management models that describe transitions, each capturing a certain essence of the transitions:

- Bridge's transition model (three stages)

- Fischer's transition model

2. Bridge's Transition Model - The Three Stages of Transition

One widely recognized model attributed to that illustrates this process is the three stages of transition: something ends, a messy middle, and a new beginning. Understanding these stages helps normalize the messiness that accompanies change and allows managers to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Emerging Ending Stage

Every transition begins with the end of something familiar. For a manager, this could mean leaving behind a role they had mastered, saying goodbye to a comfortable routine, or letting go of old ways of thinking. Endings can be difficult because they involve some sort of loss—loss of certainty, control, and sometimes identity. This stage can evoke feelings of resistance, fear, or sadness as managers grapple with what they are leaving behind.

It is often common to experience the emerging ending years before the respective ending takes place. This phase is usually filled with a perception of too much routine, little novelty, impatience for everyone's mistakes, reluctance to introduce the slightest change in your work or life routines, a comfortable sensation that you know everything and an expectation that you have everything under control. Last but not least, there is also a sort of inner dread: you know you are stagnating and you also know that nothing is as it used to be and that a sort of end is close.

It is just very hard to admit it, to put it in words, even to let this awareness take shape in any conscious way, leaving the room for some form of denial or fooling oneself. At this point, people rather postpone any decision in relation to their future, they still believe they can handle it alone or that the situation is reversible and therefore no intervention is needed.

Messy Middle Stage

After the ending comes, it starts the most challenging part of the transition. You already know it: this is usually chaotic or contains some sort of turbulence. This is where confusion, doubt, and most of the discomfort reign. There might be also a constant back-and-forth between falling back into the safety of the past (aka past behaviours that are not serving any longer) and the courage to take a few bold steps into the unknown.

The manager is no longer operating in their old role but has not yet fully adapted to their new one. This part is where a lot of both unlearning and learning take place. They are navigating uncharted waters, often feeling lost or overwhelmed by the new responsibilities and expectations. Mistakes may be frequent, and self-confidence may take a hit with the temptation to do the same old thing considered safe just because they are familiar. However, this middle phase is also a time of learning and growth. Successful managers are experimenting with new approaches, discovering what works and what doesn't, and slowly building the skills needed for success in their new roles.

New Beginning Stage

Eventually, with persistence and support, managers will manage to reach new levels of performance. This is the stage where clarity starts to emerge, and the manager feels more confident and competent in their new role. The chaos of the messy middle begins to fade, replaced by a sense of stability and control. The manager has adapted to the new responsibilities and is now operating at a higher level of performance.

Let’s take the example of a project manager who is promoted to program manager, overseeing multiple projects simultaneously. This transition is far from smooth. At first, the manager may struggle to let go of the day-to-day details they were once responsible for or even the way they are engaging with the stakeholders (the Ending). As they navigate the complexities of managing larger and more strategic responsibilities, they may feel overwhelmed by the scale of the tasks ahead, they may feel like missing the voice or power despite having the appropriate authority, and they may still doubt their steps and decisions (Messy Middle). But over time, as they adjust and gain confidence in delegating, managing across multiple fronts and working at a higher strategic level, they begin to see the benefits of their new role (the New Beginning).

Recognizing these stages allows managers to understand that feeling disoriented or overwhelmed during a transition is not a sign of failure but a normal part of the process. The messy middle is where growth happens, and embracing it rather than fighting it leads to long-term success.

While this model captures for simplification the standard phases of a transition as distinct, you need to see them overlapped with a lot of back and forth between them, which amplifies the total sense of messiness.

Furthermore, there is no certainty on the duration of each phase. People can remain stuck in the messy parts of the transitions for many years, and managers do that too. Transitioning into a new reality requires a lot of conscious work related to letting go of old habits and ways of thinking, and daily experimentation with new approaches and ways of thinking that feel organic or authentic, followed by self-reflection, learning what went well while constantly improving. It is a process that usually takes time and a serious personal discipline of self-reflection, which can be catalysed and shortened through coaching.

3. The Fischer Transition Model

While the three-stage model gives a general overview of transitions, the Fischer Transition Curve provides a more detailed roadmap of the emotional and psychological journey managers experience. Created by John H. Fischer, this model highlights eight distinct stages that individuals go through when adapting to change: Anxiety, Happiness, Denial, Frustration, Depression, Testing, Acceptance, and Integration.

Anxiety: The first stage involves anxiety about the upcoming change. The manager knows a transition is imminent, but uncertainty about what it entails creates feelings of unease.

Happiness: Initially, there may be a brief period of excitement or euphoria. The manager may feel optimistic and enthusiastic about the opportunities the new role offers.

Denial: As the reality of the new responsibilities sets in, denial can creep in. The manager may resist the changes, holding onto old habits and routines from their previous role.

Frustration: As the transition progresses, frustration emerges. The manager realizes that their old ways of working are no longer effective in the new role, leading to feelings of confusion and inadequacy.

Depression: This stage marks the emotional low point. The manager may feel overwhelmed, questioning their ability to succeed in the new role and feeling stuck in a place of uncertainty.

Testing: After the low point, the manager begins to experiment with new strategies. They try different approaches to meet the demands of the new role, learning through trial and error.

Acceptance: As the manager becomes more comfortable with the new responsibilities, they reach a stage of acceptance. They have let go of the old role and are fully engaged in the new one.

Integration: In the final stage, the manager has fully adapted to the new role, integrating the new skills and knowledge they have acquired throughout the transition.

Let’s revisit the example of the program manager. Initially, they may feel a mix of excitement and anxiety about the new responsibilities. However, as they begin to face the reality of managing larger projects, frustration sets in. They may deny the need to change their approach, trying to manage these projects as they did smaller ones. As they struggle with the increased workload and complexity, they may feel overwhelmed and doubt their abilities. But as they start testing new management strategies—such as delegating more tasks or focusing on higher-level planning—they begin to see improvements. Eventually, they reach a place of acceptance, where they are confident in their new role. Over time, they fully integrate these new strategies into their management style, operating effectively in their expanded responsibilities.

By mapping the stages of the Fischer Transition Curve onto real-life scenarios, managers can better understand the emotional rollercoaster that comes with transitions. Knowing that these stages are a normal part of the process can help managers stay patient and persistent during times of change.

4. The Role of Coaching in Navigating Transitions

Success in transitions comes to those managers who master the skill of adapting to change. Denying the need for change and becoming complacent ("Everything’s fine, we just need to do more of the same!"), giving up prematurely out of disillusionment ("I’m better off staying a project manager, where I excel."), or resisting change with hostility are all potential outcomes of poorly navigated transitions.

Transitions are deeply personal and unique to each individual. How one perceives the change—whether it's seen as positive or negative—and how secure they feel throughout the process significantly affect their experience. Support systems, such as family or friends, can provide a nurturing environment that helps smooth the journey.

In addition, inner qualities like wisdom, patience, persistence, and acceptance are critical to transitioning successfully. These traits help pave a clearer, quicker path without regrets or negative emotions.

Although having supportive friends and family is helpful, they may lack the professional insight needed to guide you effectively. Often, their advice is clouded by their own fears or concerns, which might trigger doubts or anxiety in you rather than clarity. Unless they’ve gone through a similar professional or life transition, their well-meaning advice may not be fully reliable.

Transitions can be emotionally charged and overwhelming. Without trustworthy support, many managers may attempt to navigate these changes alone, withdrawing from helpful interactions out of fear of making mistakes. This approach is the opposite of what’s needed.

Having a coach can be a game-changer. A coach offers an objective perspective, providing guidance, support, and accountability throughout the transition. With experience helping many managers through similar transitions, a coach helps bring clarity to what truly matters and keeps you focused and accountable until you’ve successfully adapted and your performance is sustainable in the new role.

Working with a coach in a transition you will benefit of:

Clarity and Perspective: Coaches help managers gain clarity about the transition, identifying the specific challenges and opportunities it presents. They encourage managers to reflect on their emotions and behaviours, helping them see the situation more objectively.

Support through the Messy Middle: Coaches provide emotional support during the messy middle, helping managers stay resilient and focused. They offer strategies for managing stress, improving decision-making, and building new skills. Coaches can also help managers reframe setbacks as learning opportunities, reducing the emotional toll of failure.

Accountability and Growth: Transitions require managers to step out of their comfort zones and develop new competencies. Coaches hold managers accountable for their progress, ensuring they take actionable steps toward their goals. By working with a coach, managers can accelerate their growth and emerge from the transition more confident and capable.

Ultimately, a coach helps managers "ride the wave" of change rather than resist it. By partnering with a coach during transitions, you will make sure of having a reliable thinking partner during the most stormy or messy situations, that you are not going to hit any rok or suffer major emotional injury, that you move forward with greater ease, and that you will emerge stronger and more equipped to succeed in your new role or life circumstance.

Transitions in management are inherently messy. It is healthy for you to expect to be and allow yourself to treat it as your chance for growth and development. By understanding the stages of transition, accepting its emotional load, embracing its foggy messiness, and seeking support from a coach, you will make sure to pass safely these periods of change and emerge stronger on the other side. I am on your side and ready to partner with you in this respect.

Until next time, keep thriving!

Alina Florea

Your Management Performance Coach 

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Summary:

Navigating transitions in management is challenging but vital for growth. Recognizing that both personal and professional changes often intertwine is key to managing the emotional and psychological shifts they bring.

The transition process typically follows a path of endings, a messy middle, and a new beginning, each requiring adaptability and resilience. It is normal for certain emotions to accompany anyone going through a transition, and knowing it upfront will allow one to build more realistic expectations and plan better for their transitioning journey.

Support from friends and family is valuable, but professional guidance from a coach offers more tailored strategies and accountability. Coaches help managers navigate uncertainty, foster self-awareness, and maintain focus, smoothing the transition and ensuring lasting success.