Working From Description to Analysis
This is an extract from a student assignment on a Management of Change topic. The
student presents a clear description of William Bridge’s four-stage theory of individual
change. However, critical thinking is often about evaluating or analyzing ideas like
this. What questions might the student have posed or asked to begin to challenge the
theory?
William Bridges (1980) discusses the process of individual change by presenting four
stages: disengagement, ‘disidentification’, disorientation and disenchantment that
individuals must pass through to move into the transition state and effectively change.
The first stage of disengagement involves breaking with the old organizational practices
and behaviours. Typical human responses exhibited will be refusal to engage with the
change process, running away, quitting, seeking a transfer or taking early retirement,
absenteeism and withdrawal of interest. After making the break, individuals need to be
more flexible and recognize that they are not who they were before.
This is the second stage of ‘disidentification’ in which individuals tend to hang onto the
past and have a distorted view of the future. This takes place when the individual’s values
and something he identifies with are removed e.g. specific tasks, location, team, expertise
and there seems to be nothing equivalent to replace it.
Disenchantment is the third stage of individual change in which individuals further clear
away the “old,” challenge assumptions and create a deeper sense of reality for themselves
by recognising that what once was is no more, something which they once valued has
been taken away. Disenchantment is often associated with anger which is easier to deal
with when expressed directly and if suppressed may come out in more indirect ways.
In the fourth stage of individual change, disorientation individuals feel lost and confused.
This is a very necessary but unpleasant state as individuals move into the transition state
and to a new beginning. Disoriented people lose sight of where they fit in and what they
should be doing and have trouble making sense of the new order of things.
The reactions to change described above are typical human responses during uncertainty
and change.
Imagine you had William Bridges sitting next to you now. What questions would you like
to ask him to clarify or explain his ideas to you?
There are no ‘right or wrong answers here – only ‘questions’. List your questions here.
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