Overcoming Change Overload

According to Gartner Research, the average employee is faced with as many as ten enterprise-wide change initiatives per year. They can span from restructuring to achieve efficiencies, from a culture change to new work or a new IT system. Yet, even positive, well-intentioned changes can overwhelm employees when the volume or pace of projects is too high. Leading to a phenomenon commonly referred to as “change overload”, “change fatigue” or “change saturation.” Gartner indicates that over 45% of employees experience change fatigue, while 25% report even burnout due to excessive organizational change. In this blog post, we will explore what change overload means, why it happens, and how leaders can address it.

Social & emotional aspects of change overload

In the last 20 years, we at viadoo were engaged in many multi-dimensional changes initiated top-down. One time we were asked by a company with +30.000 employees to support a transformation process with at least 13 different change initiatives in parallel. Many of them were sponsored by members of the executive board. Moreover, many initiatives are interdependent. That means that one
cannot be completed until another is completed. In such cases, we always wave a red flag.

Because our experience shows that transformations without sufficient respite or clear communication consume a lot of cognitive, physical and emotional resources of employees. At a certain point, however, these are depleted. Then change fatigue spreads throughout the organisation: motivation, performance, identification and productivity take a nosedive. People withdraw and make their own plans. Professionals consider resigning or hand in their notice.

As a result, the risk of failure increases. As is typically the case in 70 to 85 per cent of all change projects. This applies in particular if your organization has a change histrory with a number of changes or if there are still some going on. All together, change overload has a lot of social and emotional impacts:

Selection of social impacts:

• Tensions among colleagues: Misaligned expectations about roles and responsibilities may emerge, leading to friction and conflict.
• Social isolation: Employees who feel overwhelmed often withdraw socially. They may avoid group discussions about the changes or distance themselves from the team to cope, worsening overall collaboration.
• Loss of selfconfidence: This loss of empowerment can diminish their confidence in both the organization and themselves.
• Loss of trust in leadership: Employees may assume that leaders lack a cohesive plan, especially if prior initiatives have fizzled out or contradicted each other.

Selection of emotional impacts:

• Fear of failing in new roles or skill sets: Prolonged stress can escalate into more serious mental health issues if not addressed.
• Raising restistance: Instead of enthusiastically learning a new software tool or adopting a new policy, employees exhibit passive or active resistance. Over time, burnout can set in, resulting in higher turnover and absenteeism.
• Loss of mental health: The constant need to learn and adapt can deplete cognitive energy, which affects their overall wellbeing and, ultimately, their performance.
• Decreasing (emotional) commitment: Employees become skeptical of each new announcement or initiative, displaying “change apathy” – the sense that “this too shall pass,” so why invest energy?

How executives can prevent change overload

As an executive, you can avoid change fatigue. However, this is rarely easy, because it usually means taking a stand against your own superiors or even against the board or management. This is because they are subject to most of the constraints, such as time and cost pressures, that contradict your goal of preventing a change overload. To do so, you can take the following steps in your area of responsibility:

1. Conduct a change inventory

Audit all current and upcoming initiatives to determine scope, timelines, and the demands each places on employees. This helps leaders identify overlap or potential conflicting priorities, so they can sequence or scale back changes to avoid overwhelming teams.

2. Prioritize and sequence change initiatives

Rank initiatives by their strategic importance, feasibility, and impact on employees. And share this knowledge beyond leadership team discussions. Stagger implementation schedules for non-urgent programs. Ensuring that employees only have to absorb one or two major transformations at a time allows them to maintain energy and focus for what truly matters.

3. Communicate transparently and frequently

Explain the rationale for each change, outline clear expectations, and share how progress is measured. Provide regular updates, celebrate milestones, and address setbacks with honesty. Transparency and two-way conversation can reduce anxiety, build trust, and cultivate a shared sense of purpose, mitigating the stress associated with “unknowns.” Gartner research has found that this step can increase change success by 32%.

4. Provide adequate resources and support

Offer training, mentoring, or coaching to ensure employees have the skills and emotional support to handle each new initiative. Establish realistic timelines and workloads. Employees who feel equipped to handle change will be less likely to resist it. Tools and training ease the transition and help employees maintain confidence throughout the process.

5. Encourage collaborative decision-making

Involve employees in shaping how changes are implemented, invite ideas, listen to concerns, and consider pilot testing new processes. Collaboration can increase engagement and buy-in, while also surfacing practical insights from employees who will be directly affected by new workflows or policies. According to Gartner research, the participation of employees can increase change success by 15%.

6. Monitor employee wellbeing

But as Andy Karr, vice president in the Gartner HR practice, puts it: “Simply involving employees in change efforts is necessary, but insufficient.” Therefore, additionally provide an environment of psychological safety if you want that involvement to be productive. Eencourage open dialogues and provide avenues for feedback (e.g., pulse surveys, focus groups, or one-on-one check-ins). Pay attention to signs of burnout, such as missed deadlines or increased absence rates. Early detection of fatigue allows for timely interventions. Regular check-ins signal that leaders genuinely care about employees’ wellbeing, enhancing trust and fostering resilience.

7. Celebrate and reinforce success

Recognize individual and team achievements related to the change. Offer positive reinforcement and celebrate small wins. Positive acknowledgment energizes teams, fosters a sense of accomplishment, and reminds employees of the benefits of embracing change. This counterbalances the stress of transformation in addition.