By Elizabeth Cox
The landscape for campus housing is both constant and ever-changing. Though it differs from one department to another, change is a constant in the current higher education environment, and with it comes the hardest challenge: managing transitions. As Jenny Cotton, executive director of housing and residence life at Georgia Tech, explains, “Housing and residence life teams are inherently accustomed to change. We experience new cohorts of students every year, adapting to the generational shifts that shape their expectations, behaviors, and needs. But the real challenge isn’t in welcoming new students – it’s in managing the deeper, more systemic transitions.”
In his seminal work, Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change (2017), William Bridges says, “It isn’t the changes that will do you in; it’s the transitions.” Successful leaders must know how to manage both change and transition. Bridges’ Transition Model provides a guide for leaders that focuses on the most important aspect of change: the people it impacts. Communication is a powerful tool for managing transition, and leaders can employ different types of communication in each stage to help people move through to the next.
Transition is a process by which people disconnect from an old way to connect to a new way. Bridges identifies the three stages of the transition process, each of which is crucial: “Ending, Losing, and Letting Go,” “The Neutral Zone,” and “The New Beginning.”
For a new year to begin, the previous year must end. New team members arrive after old ones have left. Letting go of the old ways is the first step toward accepting a new one. This is what Bridges describes as the ending phase: “The starting point for dealing with transition is not the outcome but the ending that you’ll have to make to leave the old situation behind.” This ending is personal and can involve feelings of anger and denial, as Paul Hubinsky, director of strategic initiatives and planning for residential services at Northwestern University, emphasizes. “People often immediately begin thinking about potential losses due to a change. Some examples include losing a particular view out of an office window, a change in routine, the loss of social capital, and the loss of feeling knowledgeable as the change occurs and new training is needed. It is important to understand the concerns of each member of the team and acknowledge these concerns.” Helping to identify and recognize that ending can help people take a step toward a new beginning.
It’s important to talk about the “why” of a change and then find ways to continue to paint the picture of a successful future state.
In an article in the Harvard Business Review, Erica Keswin notes that rituals can turn gestures into meaningful moments. Events that can be powerful markers for communicating endings become rituals, such as end-of-year awards and farewell lunches. At Loyola University Chicago, residence life gives graduation stoles to their outgoing student staff, a small gesture that not only celebrates students but also serves as a visible and tangible reminder that this phase is ending.
Accepting the end does not automatically mean embracing a new beginning. This is what Bridges refers to as the neutral stage, or the messy middle, of the transition, a time when “reorientation and re-definition must take place.” In some organizations this acceptance can appear as apathy, lack of engagement, decreased performance, or other lackluster behavior. Things seem to be stuck without moving.
Positivity, encouragement, and feedback help move people through the neutral stage. In an article about helping leaders manage successful change, Patti Sanchez advises communicating with empathy and openness. This is vital in the neutral stage when realistic, consistent, and understandable updates must continue to be given. As Cotton emphasizes, “People need time to let go of the old and embrace the new, and that process is fueled by consistent, clear, and empathetic communication.”
Individual and group conversations are key tools for moving through the neutral stage. Leaders should use one-on-one interactions and staff meetings to have open and frank conversations about concerns. It’s important to talk about the “why” of a change and then find ways to continue to paint the picture of a successful future state. “Include communication and involvement by the right people at the right time in a way that is meaningful to them,” Hubinsky advises. Leaders should encourage connections to other team members and to the change itself. The neutral stage can feel like trudging through mud, but small steps and nudges can help people step into a new beginning.
The new beginning stage marks the last part of the transition process, when a person is finally ready to embrace the new leader, program, or initiative. Beginning means that the future is now. In this stage, communicating the plan for the new beginning is crucial, as it channels enthusiasm and excitement and provides information that people are now ready to hear. Kickoff meetings are a great communication tool for this stage, since they bring together multiple stakeholders to share an initial plan that puts a change into action. This makes a beginning tangible. These meetings can use newfound enthusiasm to engage people, and leaders can find memorable ways to celebrate wins and acknowledge when pieces have been successfully implemented.
At the heart of both change and transition is engaging the people they impact. As transition theory illustrates, addressing the impact of change on both individuals and teams means being able to communicate in different ways. Cotton notes that a key difference between success and failure is engagement and buy-in, which do not always mean that there will be agreement. “This doesn’t mean every voice will agree, but active listening and genuine consideration of concerns go a long way in building trust.”
Empathy and communication can make transitions more comfortable and less disruptive. “Managing transitions is demanding, and it requires intentionality. It’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort to do it well. Success in transitions comes from balancing the structure of the change with the adaptability of the transition process. Leaders must be willing to be both strategic and empathetic, steering their teams through the uncertainty while maintaining focus on the end goal,” Cotton explains.
Once staff are engaged, the work does not end. Fostering stability through gestures both small and big, can help relieve anxiety and give people something to trust in. Consistent communication is one of the most important parts of the process. Finding a way to communicate regularly and reliably with the team helps people know that even during change, some things will remain the same. The communication does not need to directly relate to change. It is a signal of consistency. This communication may be different depending on the needs of the team; one example might be a weekly team email with a consistent format such as team updates, announcements, professional development resources, and something fun.
Similarly, maintaining meetings also establishes stability. While no one wants to attend unnecessary meetings, simply canceling them can erode trust. For example, supervisors should ensure that one-to-one or team meetings remain consistent on the calendar. If there is a need to cancel one, then re-schedule it or offer an alternative. People may hold questions for a smaller setting. This is where empathy, understanding, and helping people move through transition happen.
Finally, it is important to maintain a focus on the overall mission. One of the most stable pieces of higher education has been its mission. Help connect people back to why they chose this profession. Find ways to connect back to the heart of the institution. This may mean attending university events or talking with university leaders. This helps people understand that while change is happening, the university's mission remains constant.
Leading change is not an easy task, but understanding the process of ending, neutral, and beginning can provide a way through for difficult change journeys. Providing the right communication, engagement, and empathetic leadership can also encourage people to embrace change. Cotton reminds leaders, “Change is inevitable, but transitions require grace and patience. In every transition, there is room to build on what was strong while letting go of what no longer serves the mission. Flexibility and openness to change are what keep us from becoming stagnant.”
Elizabeth Cox is the senior director of housing facilities at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia.
