Blame-free culture is the key ingredient 💪🏻 for successful change in a company but in many cases the opposite is the case: people still fear to make (or admit) errors. Guess What? In those companies the transformation fails⚡️.

In every change and even more in a transformation people go always through the same phases before the change is the new normal.

1. Shock
   👉🏻 We get to know that something changes. If the change is not immediately positive for us, we go through some first negative emotions with a small drop in motivation.
2. Refusal
   👉🏻 People now get angry about the change or refuse to accept it. With it comes a certain amount of energy which often results in quite some activity.
3. Rational comprehension
   👉🏻 At that moment the person rationally understands that there is no way to avoid the change. Motivation is dropping significantly.
4. Emotional acceptance = valley of tears
   👉🏻 This is the lowest point of the curve where people emotionally accept that the past is over and stop all discussions. Motivation and performance is very low.
5. Trial
   👉🏻 The person starts to experiment how they could integrate the change in the (work) life. Mood is starting to get better.
6. Realization
   👉🏻 It becomes evident that things are still working and a (positive) life after the change is possible.
7. Integration
   👉🏻 The change is the new normal.

The phases are not necessarily linear and people can go back and forward several times. Not all employees are at the same time in the same phase of the change curve. In each of the phases different support is needed to move on.

1. Shock
   👉🏻 Somebody is needed who listens and is empathetic.
2. Refusal
   👉🏻 The change needs to be continuously repeated in an understanding way
3. Rational comprehension
   👉🏻 Concrete tasks help to move on and to experience one is still needed
4. Emotional acceptance = valley of tears
   👉🏻 People need time and empathy for their emotions
5. Trial
   👉🏻 People need the safety to try new things without fearing for punishment – a blame-free culture.
6. Realization
   👉🏻 Now acknowledgment is need that people are on the right way
7. Integration
   👉🏻 Back to daily business

To be able to move on after the valley of tears, people need to feel secure enough to try things out. If they fear punishment or even get actually blamed for making errors while trying to adapt to the new circumstances, they will stay forever in the valley of tears. The transformation fails.