Stability in Times of Change: Achieving Balance to Navigate Uncertainty

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Abstract: This article discusses the importance of balancing organizational change management with stability creation. As a business consultant and researcher, the author has observed leaders get overly consumed with constant change initiatives while neglecting stability needs. While change management is crucial, consistency and predictability are also vital for employees during disruptive times. An overview of relevant academic research demonstrates that too much change without stability can result in burnout, low morale, and turnover, whereas failing to change risks business irrelevance. The key is achieving balance between the two. The author aims to bridge research and practice by providing actionable strategies from both lenses. Best practices for effective change management like clear communication, early stakeholder involvement, and short-term wins are covered. Tactics for stability including consistent communications, steady routines, and cultural celebrations are also examined. Organizations are advised to intentionally coordinate and measure change/stability efforts to maintain strategic equilibrium.

As a business consultant and leadership researcher, I have had the opportunity to work with and study countless organizations over the years. One common theme I have observed is that leaders often get so caught up in continuous change initiatives that they forget about the importance of stability. While change management is crucial, so too is providing consistency and predictability for employees during times of disruption.

Today we will explore the balance between managing change and creating stability and highlight why both are equally important for organizational success, especially in today's ever-changing business environment.

Understanding the Need for Balance

Change brings uncertainty, and uncertainty brings anxiety (Rafferty & Griffin, 2006). Too much change without sufficient stability can lead to burnout, decreased morale, and high turnover rates (Bernhard, 2019). On the flip side, failing to adapt to new realities through ongoing change initiatives threatens long-term viability (Oreg et al., 2011). The key, according to scholars, is achieving balance between the two (Ebrahimi et al., 2020). Leaders need to manage change effectively while also providing stability to help employees feel a sense of control during times of unpredictability (Kotter, 2012). But finding that equilibrium is easier said than done.

Bridging Research and Practice

Through my work as an organizational consultant, I have seen firsthand the challenges that leaders face in balancing these dual priorities. I have also studied change management and stability from an academic lens throughout my career. In this essay, I aim to bridge the gap between research and practice by sharing actionable insights and strategies informed by both perspectives. Rather than taking an "ivory tower" approach, I will relate concepts to real-world examples from various industries I have experience with. My goal is to provide leaders with tangible tools and approaches they can apply immediately within their unique organizational contexts.

Managing Change: Getting Ahead of Disruption

While stability is crucial, change remains a constant reality for businesses of all sizes and across all sectors. The pace of technological innovation, market disruptions, and new competitors emerging means leaders must proactively drive transformation (Kotter, 2012). Those who fall behind risk irrelevance or even demise. However, change cannot be implemented haphazardly or chaotically without buy-in from employees. Three best practices for effectively managing change include:

Communicating the "Why"

Research shows the number one reason change initiatives fail is lack of communication from leadership (Armenakis & Harris, 2002). Employees want to understand not just "what" is changing but more importantly "why" these changes are necessary. As a consultant, I worked with a Fortune 500 bank transitioning to a new operating model. Leadership communicated the external pressures driving the overhaul but failed to convey how it would benefit employees. Morale plummeted. To gain support, leaders must clearly explain the reasons and potential impacts of changes in a transparent, ongoing manner (Kotter, 2012).

Involving Stakeholders Early On

Rather than announcing changes as faits accompli, research finds a collaborative approach leads to higher success rates (Lines et al., 2005). When I consulted for a healthcare technology company shifting to remote work, leadership held ideation sessions with frontline staff to solicit feedback on possibilities before decisions were finalized. This created buy-in and a sense of ownership over the transition. Getting key stakeholders involved early in the change process fosters creativity and grassroots support (Kotter, 2012).

Creating Short-Term Wins

Sustaining momentum for major changes requires demonstrating progress to employees along the way (Kotter, 2012). As an academic researcher, I studied a mining organization's digital transformation that spanned multiple years. Quarterly "wins" were announced, like productivity gains or customer retention improvements, to keep morale up. This builds confidence in leadership and the overall direction of travel (Judge et al., 1999). Small, early successes help maintain buy-in for changes with lengthier timelines.

Providing Stability During Times of Change

While effectively managing ongoing change is crucial, so too is stabilizing employees amid disruption. Leaders must recognize change inflicts short-term costs like increased stress, lower productivity, and uncertainty (Oreg, 2006). Three tactics for providing stability simultaneously include:

Maintaining Consistent Communication Channels

During times of transition, clear, regular communication from leadership is even more critical (Armenakis & Harris, 2002). Weekly team briefings, a daily news digest, or digital workplace forums offer predictability when other aspects are fluctuating. When consulting for a manufacturing firm's relocation, I advised maintaining their weekly "Town Hall" meetings to share updates and answer questions candidly. Familiar forums provide an anchor of stability.

Keeping Core Processes and Routines Steady

Too much change across the board can overwhelm employees (Gray et al., 2017). Research demonstrates maintaining constancy around set work hours, performance management rhythms, and core job responsibilities provides predictability (Judge et al., 1999). Leaders should identify which workflows can stay constant to combat transition fatigue. For example, when a software startup tripled in size, keeping monthly 1:1 meetings unchanged offered much-needed normalcy.

Celebrating Cultural Traditions and Values

Shared culture and values represent the communal "glue" holding an organization together (Schein, 2010). Leaders must clearly reiterate how change aligns with and strengthens existing cultural tenets like integrity, collaboration, or customer-centricity. Rituals like all-hands celebrations or recognition activities can symbolize stability amid flux. For instance, when consulting a media company through a merger, annual service awards and social responsibility efforts continued unchanged to maintain cohesion.

Balancing Change Management and Stability

As these research-backed approaches highlight, achieving balance between managing change and providing stability requires intentional, simultaneous focus on both. Leaders often default to focusing primarily on change initiatives while overlooking the stability needs of their people. Through my expertise in both consulting and academia, I have distilled three overarching recommendations for organizations:

Set Clear, Reinforced Expectations

Leaders must explicitly explain from the outset that the organization will continuously change some aspects while keeping others steady. This removes ambiguity and gives employees a framework to navigate uncertainty. When consulting a manufacturing client, we held an all-hands to communicate expectations upfront for maintaining core structures amid strategic shifts.

Coordinate Dual Priorities Strategically

Organizational transformation cannot be addressed in silos—change and stability strategies must be coordinated cohesively. I advise leaders to map how each initiative affects the other using tools like a responsibility assignment matrix to prevent unintended consequences. Proactively balancing initiatives strategically fosters higher synergy and buy-in.

Measure and Recalibrate Regularly

Periodic feedback allows leaders to assess how well the equilibrium is being achieved. Metrics could include employee engagement/stress surveys, attrition/retention rates, or productivity levels. Qualitative interviews also provide insights. Change and consistency efforts alike must adapt based on results. Consistent measurement helped a technology firm refine its balance over two years of scaling.

Conclusion

In today's world characterized by turbulence and disruption, leaders are juggling continuous change demands while also recognizing employees' inherent need for stability. This essay aimed to bridge the academic research and practical realities I have navigated as a consultant and scholar. Effectively managing change requires clear communication of reasons for transformations, early stakeholder involvement, and demonstrating short-term progress—while simultaneously providing stable routines, cultural anchors, and communication channels. Leaders must explicitly set dual expectations, coordinate initiatives synergistically using frameworks, and consistently refine based on results. Achieving strategic balance allows organizations to stay nimble in responding to an unsettled environment while also caring for their people's psychological needs. In an era defined by uncertainty, finding equilibrium is key for sustainable success.

References

1. Armenakis, A. A., & Harris, S. G. (2002). Crafting a change message to create transformational readiness. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 15(2), 169–183.

2. Bernhard, F. (2019). How constant organizational change impacts employee burnout. Strategic HR Review, 18(3), 134–138.

3. Ebrahimi, M., Moosavi, S. M., & Chirani, E. (2020). Balance between stability, change and organizational ambidexterity. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 28(4), 805-827.

4. Gray, J., Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017). Burns and Grove's the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (8th ed.). Elsevier.

5. Judge, W. Q., Douglas, T. J., & Kutan, A. M. (1999). Executive insights: Creating value for global organizations: Strategic flexibility and alignment. Organizational Dynamics, 27(3), 5-21.

6. Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change. Harvard Business Review Press.

7. Lines, R., Sullivan, K., Smithwick, J., & Mischung, J. (2005). Overcoming resistance to change. McKinsey Quarterly, (1), 34-41.

8. Oreg, S. (2006). Personality, context, and resistance to organizational change. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 15(1), 73–101.

9. Oreg, S., Vakola, M., & Armenakis, A. (2011). Change recipients' reactions to organizational change: A 60-year review of quantitative studies. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 47(4), 461–524.

10. Rafferty, A. E., & Griffin, M. A. (2006). Perceptions of organizational change: A stress and coping perspective. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(5), 1154–1162.

11. Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

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Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Associate Dean and Director of HR Programs (WGU); Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD/HR/Leadership Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.

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Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2025). Navigating the Confidence Crisis: Strategic Responses to Declining Employee Outlook. Human Capital Leadership Review, 24(2). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.24.2.2