The Mistake: Management treats change as a Technical Problem (installing new software, changing org charts). Employees experience change as an Adaptive Challenge (changing identity and habits).
The J-Curve of Change
Every change initiative follows a 'J-Curve.' Performance drops before it rises. During this drop (The Implementation Dip), employees feel incompetent. They used to be experts at the old system; now they are novices at the new one.
The Neuro-Semantic Solution
Honor the Loss: Before selling the future, acknowledge the past. "We are losing the simplicity of the old system, and that is a real loss." Validating the loss reduces resistance.
Frame the Dip: Frame the drop in performance as 'Learning,' not 'Failing.' "For the next 3 weeks, your metric is not Speed, it is Adoption." By managing the meaning of the dip, you prevent the team from giving up before the breakthrough.
