How the kubler ross curve change model reshapes employee engagement

Understanding the kubler ross curve change in the workplace

From stages of grief to stages of organizational change

The kubler ross change curve started as a way to describe how people respond to death and dying. The original model outlined stages of grief such as denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Over time, change leaders and researchers in organizational change noticed something important ; employees show very similar emotional reactions when faced with major change at work.

This is how the kubler ross curve model moved from clinical settings into change management. The same emotional responses that appear in the stages of grief also appear when a company launches a digital transformation, restructures teams or introduces a new process. The ross model does not say that every person goes through every stage in the same way. Instead, it offers a practical lens to understand why resistance appears and why engagement often drops before it recovers.

In the workplace, the kubler ross change curve helps organizations see change as an emotional process, not just a project plan. It reminds leaders that employees feel loss when familiar routines, tools or roles disappear. That sense of loss is real, even when the change is positive on paper.

Why the curve matters for employee engagement

When you look at engagement through the kubler ross change curve, you can see why traditional change management often fails. Many change initiatives focus on communication plans, timelines and training. These are important, but they do not fully address the emotional reactions that sit underneath resistance.

The change curve shows that engagement is not a straight line from announcement to adoption. Instead, it usually follows a curve change pattern :

• Initial shock and denial when the change is announced
• Emotional pushback and resistance as people realise what the change means for them
• A low point where motivation and trust can drop sharply
• Gradual acceptance and experimentation with the new way of working
• Eventual integration and commitment once the change becomes normal

For engagement, this means that the most critical stage is often the dip in the middle of the curve. If leaders misread this stage as laziness or lack of commitment, they risk damaging trust. If they recognise it as a predictable part of the change process, they can offer targeted support and protect performance.

Research in change management and organizational psychology consistently shows that employees who feel heard, respected and involved during change are more likely to reach acceptance and adoption faster. They are also more likely to stay engaged and less likely to leave. This is where practical skills such as influencing and communication in times of change become a real engagement lever.

Translating the kubler ross stages into workplace reality

In a work context, the kubler ross change curve is often simplified into a series of stages that map to typical employee reactions. Different sources use slightly different labels, but the underlying emotional journey is similar. A common workplace version of the change curve includes :

• Denial – employees question whether the change will really happen or assume it will not affect them
• Resistance – emotional reactions surface, from frustration to open challenge of the change
• Exploration – people start to test the new tools, roles or processes, often with mixed feelings
• Acceptance and adoption – the new way of working becomes part of daily routines

Each stage change brings different engagement risks and opportunities. In denial, people may appear calm but are not yet mentally engaged with the change. In resistance, they are highly engaged emotionally, but in a negative way. During exploration, they need strong support to build confidence. At acceptance, they can become advocates for the change if they feel the process was fair and respectful.

Understanding these stages helps organizations move from blaming employees for resistance to asking a better question ; what does this stage of the curve tell us about what employees need right now to stay engaged.

How the change curve helps leaders and managers

For leaders and managers, the kubler ross change curve is not just a theoretical model. It is a practical tool that helps them :

• Anticipate emotional reactions before they appear
• Plan communication and support that match each stage of the curve
• Recognise that resistance is often a sign of loss or fear, not a lack of professionalism
• Adjust expectations about productivity and engagement during intense change

In complex initiatives such as digital transformation, the curve model is especially useful. These programs often touch systems, roles and identity at the same time. Employees feel both excitement and grief as old ways of working disappear. Leaders who understand the ross change curve can normalise these emotional responses and show that the organization is prepared to support employees through the full change process, not just the launch.

This perspective also shapes how organizations design their change management approach. Instead of a one time announcement, they build a sequence of actions that align with the curve ; early clarity to reduce denial, open dialogue to channel resistance, hands on learning to support exploration and recognition to reinforce acceptance.

Linking the curve to real engagement practices

Using the kubler ross change curve for employee engagement is ultimately about making change more human. It reminds us that behind every new system or structure there are people experiencing loss, uncertainty and hope at the same time. When leaders and managers treat the curve as a guide, they can :

• Spot early signals that engagement is at risk during a specific stage
• Offer targeted support employees actually value, instead of generic messages
• Design feedback loops that show employees their emotional reactions are heard

Later in this article, we will look at how to read engagement signals at each stage of the change curve, how to support engagement through the full change process and how to measure whether employees feel more or less connected as the curve unfolds. For now, the key idea is simple ; the kubler ross change curve helps organizations treat engagement not as a static score, but as a living response to the emotional journey of change.

Why change hurts engagement more than leaders expect

Why engagement drops when change begins

When an organizational change is announced, leaders often focus on the business case, the project plan, and the timeline. Employees experience something very different : an emotional process that looks a lot like the kubler ross change curve. The original kubler ross model described the stages of grief linked to death and dying. In the workplace, the same curve helps organizations understand why engagement can suddenly fall, even when the change is clearly positive on paper. Employees do not move from announcement to adoption in a straight line. They move through emotional reactions and stages that affect how they feel about their work, their leaders, and their future.

Rational plans vs emotional reactions

Change management often starts with a rational story :

• Here is why we need this change
• Here is the plan and the timeline
• Here is what success will look like

The kubler ross change curve reminds us that employees hear this story through an emotional filter. The first stage is often denial : people quietly hope the change will not really happen, or that it will not affect them. From there, emotional responses can move into resistance, frustration, or even a sense of grief for the way things used to be. This is not a sign of weak culture. It is a normal human reaction to loss and uncertainty. When leaders ignore these stages, they misread silence as acceptance. Engagement scores may look stable for a short time, but under the surface, trust and energy are already dropping.

The hidden cost of underestimating resistance

Resistance in the change process is often treated as a problem to fix instead of a signal to understand. The kubler ross curve model shows that resistance is a predictable stage, not a failure. If leaders push too hard for quick adoption, employees feel :

• Unheard, because their concerns are dismissed
• Unsafe, because it is risky to express doubts
• Disconnected, because the change feels done to them, not with them

This emotional distance shows up as lower engagement : less initiative, slower collaboration, and more focus on protecting the status quo. In digital transformation projects, for example, the technology may be ready, but the people are still in an earlier stage of the ross change curve. Research in organizational change and change management consistently shows that ignoring resistance increases project risk and delays adoption. Treating resistance as information, not defiance, helps organizations protect engagement while moving through each stage change.

Why the curve feels personal to employees

The kubler ross change curve was first used to describe stages of grief. In organizations, employees may not be facing death and dying, but they are often grieving :

• The loss of familiar routines
• The loss of status or expertise
• The loss of relationships or team identity

This grief is rarely named, yet it shapes emotional reactions at every stage of the change curve. People may appear resistant when they are actually trying to protect their sense of competence and belonging. When leaders see only the surface behavior, they miss the deeper emotional process. Engagement then suffers because employees feel that their real experience is invisible.

How misreading the stages damages trust

The ross model suggests that people move from denial and resistance toward exploration and acceptance. In practice, employees do not move through these stages in a clean sequence. They can move back and forth along the curve. Common leadership mistakes that hurt engagement include :

• Assuming early enthusiasm means lasting adoption
• Labeling questions as negativity instead of curiosity
• Declaring success too early in the change process

Each of these mistakes sends a message that emotional responses are not welcome. Over time, employees stop sharing honest feedback. They comply with the process but disengage from the purpose. This is where skilled change leaders and people managers make a difference. When they understand the kubler ross model, they can normalize emotional reactions, offer support employees actually need, and keep engagement alive even in difficult stages.

Why engagement needs more than communication

Many organizations respond to falling engagement during change with more communication. Updates are important, but they are not enough. Employees move along the curve change when they feel :

• Heard in their concerns and fears
• Included in shaping the new ways of working
• Supported with coaching, training, and time to adjust

This is where coaching skills and day to day management behaviors become critical. Approaches aligned with recognized coaching competencies in the workplace can help leaders listen better, ask stronger questions, and respond to emotional reactions with empathy instead of pressure. For a deeper look at how these coaching capabilities influence engagement during organizational change, you can explore this article on how coaching core competencies shape employee engagement. When leaders treat the kubler ross change curve as a practical map of emotional stages, they can design support that matches where people really are, not where the project plan says they should be. That alignment is what protects engagement while the organization moves from disruption to genuine acceptance and adoption.

Reading engagement signals at each stage of the kubler ross curve change

Spotting engagement signals along the change curve

Understanding the kubler ross change curve is not just an academic exercise ; it is a practical lens for reading how employees feel about organizational change in real time. The original curve model, developed to describe emotional responses to death and dying, has been widely adapted in change management research to explain why people move through stages of denial, resistance, exploration and acceptance during a change process. In the workplace, those emotional reactions show up as very concrete engagement signals. When leaders and managers know what to look for at each stage, it helps organizations respond earlier, reduce resistance and protect performance.

From denial to awareness : early warning signs

In the first stage of the kubler ross change curve, many employees are in denial. They have heard about the change, but they have not yet accepted that it will really affect them. Typical engagement signals in this stage change include :

• Silence in meetings – people listen but rarely ask questions or challenge the plan.
• Minimal participation in surveys – low response rates to pulse checks about the change process.
• “Business as usual” behaviour – employees keep old routines, ignore new tools or processes.
• Surface level positivity – polite agreement on the outside, but no visible adoption in daily work.

These are not always open signs of resistance. They are more like emotional distance. Employees feel uncertain, so they hold back their energy and commitment. For change leaders, this is the moment to increase clarity, not pressure. Transparent communication, simple explanations of the curve change and visible leadership support help employees move from denial to awareness without feeling pushed.

Resistance and grief : when engagement looks like pushback

As the change curve progresses, denial often gives way to frustration, anger or sadness. The kubler ross model describes this as a stage of grief, where people mourn what they are losing : status, routines, relationships or a sense of competence. In organizational change, this emotional stage can look like disengagement, but it is often a sign that employees are still deeply invested. Common engagement signals here include :

• Open criticism of the change – challenging the strategy, questioning the timing or the motives of management.
• Increased conflict – tension between teams, complaints about workload or priorities.
• Drop in discretionary effort – people do what is required, but stop volunteering or going the extra mile.
• Higher absence or turnover risk – more sick days, more conversations about leaving.

Research in change management consistently shows that these emotional reactions are normal in the stages of grief applied to work. They are not proof that the change is failing. They are proof that employees care enough to react. For leaders, the key is to treat resistance as data. It helps identify where the change process is unclear, where support employees need is missing, or where the ross model has not been translated into practical steps for teams.

Exploration and experimentation : fragile but rising engagement

If organizations provide enough psychological safety and support, employees gradually move into a more exploratory stage of the change curve. Here, emotional responses shift from pure loss to cautious curiosity. Engagement signals in this stage often look like :

• More questions about “how” – less focus on whether the change should happen, more on how to make it work.
• Early adopters testing new tools – for example, in a digital transformation, some employees start using the new platform and share feedback.
• Peer to peer learning – informal help between colleagues, small communities of practice forming around the new way of working.
• Constructive suggestions – employees propose improvements to the change process instead of rejecting it outright.

Engagement is still fragile here. People can easily slide back into frustration if they feel ignored or overloaded. But this is also the moment where targeted support helps organizations turn emotional reactions into energy for adoption. This is where impact driven engagement strategies become powerful. Approaches that connect the change to purpose, meaning and concrete benefits for employees can accelerate movement along the ross change curve. A deeper look at how impact driven strategies transform employee engagement shows how aligning change with values increases both acceptance and performance.

Acceptance and integration : engagement as ownership

In the later stages of the kubler ross change curve, employees reach a form of acceptance. In organizational change, this does not mean they love every aspect of the new model. It means they have emotionally processed the loss and are ready to integrate the change into their identity at work. Engagement signals at this stage typically include :

• Language shift – people say “our new process” instead of “their change”.
• Stable or rising engagement scores – survey data shows renewed confidence in leadership and the future.
• Visible ownership – employees propose improvements, document best practices and mentor others.
• Performance recovery – after a dip earlier in the curve, productivity and quality indicators stabilise or improve.

At this point, the change is no longer a separate project. It is part of how employees work, collaborate and make decisions. The emotional energy that was once tied up in resistance or grief is now available for innovation and continuous improvement.

Reading signals across the curve, not in isolation

One of the risks in change management is to interpret engagement signals without context. A drop in survey scores, a spike in complaints or a wave of questions can look alarming if leaders forget that the kubler ross curve describes a predictable emotional journey. Instead of asking “Why are people so negative ?”, change leaders can ask “Where are our teams on the change curve, and what does this stage need from us ?”. A few practical guidelines help :

• Match signals to stages – silence often points to denial, anger to grief, questions to exploration, and suggestions to acceptance.
• Look for patterns, not individuals – one frustrated employee is a conversation ; a whole team in resistance is a signal about the change process.
• Combine qualitative and quantitative data – engagement surveys, listening sessions and informal feedback all map to different parts of the curve model.
• Expect movement back and forth – people rarely move through the stages in a straight line, especially during complex digital transformation or repeated waves of organizational change.

When leaders read engagement through the lens of the kubler ross change curve, they stop treating emotional reactions as obstacles to remove. Instead, they see them as information that helps organizations design better support, more humane change processes and, ultimately, stronger long term engagement.

Practical ways to support engagement through each stage of change

Turning the change curve into a practical playbook

The kubler ross change curve is often presented as a neat diagram. In reality, it becomes useful only when it guides very concrete actions. The curve model describes emotional responses, but leaders and managers need to translate each stage into specific ways to support employees, reduce resistance, and protect engagement during organizational change.

The original ross model, developed in the context of death and dying and the stages of grief, was never meant as a corporate tool. Yet its focus on grief, loss, and emotional reactions helps organizations understand why people struggle with the change process. When employees feel that something familiar is ending, they move through stages that look like denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In a workplace, these stages show up as silence, pushback, confusion, or renewed energy.

Below, the kubler ross change curve is used as a practical guide. For each stage, the goal is not to force adoption, but to provide the right support so that employees can move through the process with as much clarity and dignity as possible.

Responding to denial with clarity and repetition

In the first stage of the change curve, many employees simply do not believe the change is real or relevant. Denial is not always loud. It often looks like people carrying on as if nothing has changed, or assuming the initiative will quietly disappear.

• Explain the “why” repeatedly : Link the change to real business challenges and opportunities. Use simple language, not abstract slogans.
• Connect the curve to daily work : Show what will actually be different in tasks, tools, and expectations. Vague messages increase resistance.
• Invite questions without judgment : Make it safe to ask basic questions. If people fear looking uninformed, denial lasts longer.
• Share what is not changing : Stability helps employees feel less threatened. Clarify which values, roles, or processes will remain.

In this stage, leaders should not expect quick adoption. The aim is to reduce shock and help employees see that the change is real, thought through, and not purely reactive.

Channeling anger and resistance into constructive feedback

As denial fades, emotional reactions often intensify. People may feel anger, frustration, or a sense of unfairness. In the kubler ross curve change model, this is a predictable stage, not a sign that the initiative is failing.

• Normalize emotional responses : Acknowledge that frustration and grief are natural when routines, status, or identity are threatened.
• Listen for the signal in the noise : Complaints often contain useful information about risks, blind spots, or workload pressures.
• Protect psychological safety : If people are punished for speaking up, resistance goes underground and becomes harder to manage.
• Equip managers with basic conflict skills : Middle managers are closest to the anger. They need training in de escalation, active listening, and boundary setting.

In this stage of change, the role of change leaders is to absorb some of the emotional heat without becoming defensive. This helps employees feel heard, which is a precondition for later acceptance.

Supporting bargaining and exploration with structured involvement

After the most intense resistance, many employees enter a more tentative stage. They start to test the change, ask “what if” questions, and look for ways to keep some control. In the ross change curve, this is often described as bargaining.

• Offer real choices where possible : Even small options, such as pilot teams, phased timelines, or tool preferences, can reduce resistance.
• Co design parts of the process : Involve employees in shaping workflows, communication routines, or training formats.
• Clarify non negotiables : Be transparent about which elements of the change are fixed. False flexibility damages trust.
• Use feedback loops : Short surveys, focus groups, or retrospectives show that input is taken seriously and helps organizations adjust.

This stage is a turning point in the change process. When people see that their expertise matters, they move from passive recipients to active contributors. Engagement often starts to recover here, provided that management follows through on commitments.

Addressing low mood and fatigue with targeted support

Even when resistance decreases, a period of low energy is common. In the stages of grief, this is often described as depression. In organizational change, it can look like disengagement, quiet withdrawal, or burnout risk.

• Monitor workload carefully : Digital transformation and other large initiatives often add tasks before old ones are removed.
• Provide emotional and practical resources : Access to coaching, peer groups, or employee assistance programs can make a real difference.
• Recognize small wins : Publicly acknowledge progress, even if the overall change curve still feels steep.
• Train managers to spot warning signs : Changes in participation, tone, or performance can signal that support employees need is not being met.

In this stage, leaders should avoid pushing a narrative of forced positivity. Honest recognition of grief and loss, combined with concrete help, is more credible and more effective for engagement.

Reinforcing acceptance and new habits for lasting adoption

In the final stage of the kubler ross change curve, employees begin to accept the new reality. They experiment more confidently, share tips, and help colleagues. This is where the change model shifts from emotional survival to genuine adoption.

• Celebrate competence, not just compliance : Highlight stories of employees who use the new process creatively or improve outcomes.
• Embed new practices in systems : Align performance measures, incentives, and workflows with the new way of working.
• Keep listening after go live : The end of the project plan is not the end of the curve change. Continue to refine based on lived experience.
• Document lessons for future change management : Capture what helped engagement and what created unnecessary resistance.

Acceptance is not a single moment. It is a stage change where new habits gradually replace old ones. When leaders stay present during this phase, they strengthen trust and make future organizational change less threatening.

Using the ross model as a shared language for engagement

Across all stages of the kubler ross curve, the most practical benefit of the model is that it gives people a shared language. Instead of labeling employees as resistant or difficult, change leaders and managers can talk about where teams are on the curve and what kind of support is appropriate.

• The curve helps leaders anticipate emotional reactions instead of being surprised by them.
• The stages help management design targeted interventions rather than generic communication campaigns.
• The model helps organizations see engagement as a dynamic process, not a static score.

When the kubler ross change curve is treated as a living guide rather than a rigid diagram, it becomes a practical tool for protecting engagement. It reminds leaders that behind every change initiative are people navigating loss, uncertainty, and eventually, new beginnings.

Sources :

• Kübler Ross, E., & Kessler, D. (2005). On Grief and Grieving : Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss. Scribner.
  
• Elrod, P. D., & Tippett, D. D. (2002). The "death valley" of change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 15(3), 273 291.
  
• Vakola, M. (2014). What's in there for me? Individual readiness to change and the perceived impact of organizational change. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 35(3), 195 209.

  The hidden role of middle managers in the kubler ross curve change

  The quiet influence of managers during change

In most organizational change initiatives, middle managers sit in a difficult spot. They are close enough to leaders to hear the strategic rationale, and close enough to employees to feel the emotional reactions in real time. On the kubler ross change curve, this position makes them the main translators of the model into daily work.

When the change process starts, leaders often focus on timelines, budgets, and technology. Middle managers, however, face the human side of the curve model : denial, resistance, grief, and eventually acceptance and adoption. Their actions can either soften the emotional responses at each stage or amplify resistance and disengagement.

How managers shape the emotional journey through the curve

The kubler ross change curve, originally linked to death and dying and the stages of grief, is now widely used in change management to understand emotional reactions to organizational change. In practice, middle managers are the ones who turn this abstract ross model into concrete support for employees.

Across the stages of the change curve, their influence shows up in several ways :

• Explaining the “why” behind the change : When people first hear about a major shift, they often enter a denial stage. Managers who clearly explain the reasons for the change, and how it connects to the team’s work, reduce confusion and fear. This helps employees feel less blindsided by the process.
• Normalizing emotional reactions : As resistance and grief appear, managers can name these emotional responses without judgment. Saying that frustration or sadness is a normal stage change reaction helps employees feel seen, not weak or difficult.
• Translating strategy into daily tasks : Leaders talk about vision and outcomes. Middle managers translate that into concrete steps, priorities, and expectations. This translation is critical for adoption, because it turns an abstract curve change into a manageable work plan.
• Providing psychological safety : During the most intense stages of the kubler ross curve, employees need a safe space to express doubts and resistance. Managers who listen actively and respond with empathy reduce the risk that emotional reactions turn into long term disengagement.
• Reinforcing progress and small wins : As teams move toward acceptance and integration, managers are the ones who notice and celebrate small signs of progress. This reinforcement helps organizations move from reluctant compliance to genuine commitment.

Typical manager behaviors at each stage of the change curve

Because they are so close to the team, middle managers can read the stages of the kubler ross change curve earlier than senior leaders. Their day to day behavior either supports employees through the process or blocks it.

Stage on the kubler ross change curve	Common employee reactions	Helpful manager behaviors	Harmful manager behaviors
Denial	“This will not really happen”, minimal engagement with information	Share clear facts, repeat key messages, invite questions, check understanding	Downplaying the change, avoiding questions, saying “just wait and see”
Resistance	Anger, fear, open or quiet resistance, focus on losses	Listen to concerns, acknowledge grief and loss, explain what is negotiable and what is not	Labeling people as “negative”, dismissing worries, forcing quick compliance
Exploration	Cautious curiosity, testing new ways of working	Offer training, create safe experiments, give time to learn, encourage peer support	Overloading with tasks, punishing mistakes, rushing the learning process
Acceptance and adoption	Growing confidence, new routines, more stable emotional state	Recognize progress, align goals with the new model, share success stories	Ignoring achievements, constantly changing priorities, reopening old debates

In digital transformation projects, for example, employees often move through these stages quickly and repeatedly as new tools and processes appear. Middle managers who understand the ross change curve can anticipate where resistance will spike and where extra support is needed.

Why middle managers often struggle in the change process

Despite their importance, middle managers are frequently under prepared for the emotional side of change management. They receive slide decks about the change curve model, but little practical coaching on how to handle grief, resistance, or denial in real conversations.

Several factors make their role especially challenging :

• Dual pressure from above and below : They must deliver on change leaders’ expectations while also protecting their teams. This tension can create their own emotional responses along the kubler ross curve, which often go unrecognized.
• Limited involvement in design : Many organizational change initiatives are designed without meaningful input from middle management. When they are asked to implement a change they did not help shape, their ability to advocate for it authentically is reduced.
• Insufficient time and resources : Managers are expected to maintain performance, manage the change process, and support employees emotionally, all with the same workload and tools as before.
• Lack of skills in emotional conversations : Technical or operational expertise does not automatically translate into confidence with emotional reactions. Without training, some managers avoid difficult discussions, which can deepen resistance.

When these constraints are not addressed, even well intentioned managers can unintentionally increase resistance and slow adoption. Employees feel that their emotional stage is not recognized, and engagement drops.

How leaders can equip managers to support employees through change

If leaders want the kubler ross change model to truly help organizations, they need to invest in middle managers as the primary agents of support. This means going beyond presentations about the stages of grief and the change curve, and building real capability.

Practical steps that strengthen manager impact include :

• Early and honest briefing : Involve managers in the change process as early as possible. Share not only the official narrative, but also the risks, uncertainties, and likely emotional reactions at each stage.
• Training in emotional and conversational skills : Offer focused development on how to recognize denial, grief, and resistance, and how to respond in ways that maintain trust. Role plays and case studies from past organizational change efforts are particularly useful.
• Clear decision boundaries : Define what managers can adapt locally and what is fixed. This clarity helps them respond to employee concerns without making promises they cannot keep.
• Regular feedback loops : Create simple mechanisms for managers to share what they see at each stage of the curve. This feedback helps leaders adjust communication, timing, and support.
• Recognition for emotional labor : Acknowledge that guiding people through the kubler ross curve is demanding work. Recognizing and rewarding this contribution signals that emotional support is part of real management, not an optional extra.

When middle managers are equipped in this way, they become the stabilizing force that helps employees feel guided rather than pushed. The change curve is still emotional and sometimes painful, but the journey is more predictable, and engagement has a better chance to recover and grow.

Measuring engagement across the kubler ross curve change

Why engagement metrics must follow the curve, not the calendar

When organizations go through a change process, many leaders still measure engagement as if nothing special is happening. They send the usual annual survey, look at a single engagement score, and move on. That approach completely misses how the kubler ross change curve model actually unfolds in real workplaces.

The stages of the kubler ross curve are emotional, not mechanical. People move through denial, resistance, grief, and eventually acceptance and adoption at different speeds. Engagement measurement has to reflect that reality. Instead of asking “How engaged are employees this year ?”, the better question is “How are employees feeling and behaving at this stage of the change curve, and what does that mean for engagement ?”.

Core engagement signals to track through each emotional stage

To make the ross model useful for engagement, you need a mix of quantitative and qualitative signals that map to the emotional responses of each stage. The goal is not to label people, but to understand how the organizational change is landing in real time.

• Denial stage
  
  • Signals to track : low participation in change related meetings, limited questions, stable but “flat” engagement scores, few comments in surveys.
  • What it tells you : employees may not yet believe the change is real or urgent. They might appear calm, but emotional reactions are simply delayed.
• Resistance stage
  
  • Signals to track : spike in negative comments, higher reported stress, more questions about workload and job security, increased absence or turnover in some teams.
  • What it tells you : the grief and loss side of the kubler ross change curve is active. People feel the impact and may push back on the process, the leaders, or the curve model itself.
• Exploration stage
  
  • Signals to track : more ideas submitted, higher participation in pilots and training, mixed but improving sentiment in comments, more cross team collaboration.
  • What it tells you : emotional reactions are shifting. Employees feel safer to test the new way of working, even if they still have doubts.
• Acceptance and adoption stage
  
  • Signals to track : higher confidence in leadership, stronger scores on purpose and future outlook, more peer support behaviors, better performance indicators linked to the change.
  • What it tells you : the change curve is moving into integration. Employees feel that the new reality is normal and can start to rebuild engagement on that basis.

Practical measurement tools that respect the change curve

Measuring engagement across the kubler ross change curve does not require complex technology, but it does require discipline and timing. The aim is to connect the emotional stages of grief and acceptance with concrete data that helps organizations respond quickly.

• Pulse surveys aligned with stage change
  Short, frequent surveys during key moments of the change process : announcement, first implementation, early results, and stabilization. Questions should focus on clarity, trust, emotional load, and perceived support.
• Team level check ins
  Regular structured conversations where managers ask the same three or four questions about how employees feel, what worries them, and what helps them cope. Notes can be coded against the ross change stages without naming them explicitly to employees.
• Sentiment analysis of open comments
  Systematic review of comments from surveys, town halls, and collaboration tools to detect patterns of denial, resistance, or acceptance. This is especially useful in digital transformation, where emotional reactions often surface in informal channels.
• Behavioral indicators
  Data such as training completion, participation in change workshops, adoption of new systems, and internal mobility. These show whether employees feel ready to move from emotional processing to practical adoption.

Linking engagement data to specific stages of the ross model

To make the kubler ross curve more than a theoretical model, engagement data needs to be interpreted through the lens of the stages grief framework. That means asking, for each data point : “Which emotional stage does this most likely reflect, and what support do employees need now ?”.

A simple way to do this is to build a stage based dashboard :

Stage of the change curve	Typical emotional reactions	Key engagement metrics	What leaders and managers should watch
Denial	Shock, disbelief, minimization	Participation rates, information access, understanding of change	Are employees informed but quiet ? Are questions about “why” missing ?
Resistance	Anger, frustration, grief, fear	Stress levels, trust in management, perceived workload, intent to stay	Is resistance being voiced openly or going underground ? Are some groups more affected ?
Exploration	Curiosity, cautious hope, experimentation	Idea sharing, training engagement, collaboration, psychological safety	Do employees feel safe to try and fail ? Are experiments recognized and supported ?
Acceptance and adoption	Commitment, energy, renewed focus	Performance outcomes, innovation, advocacy, peer support	Are early adopters influencing others ? Is success being shared without ignoring remaining grief ?

Using engagement insights to adjust support in real time

Measurement only matters if it changes how leaders and managers act. When engagement data is read through the kubler ross change curve, it becomes a practical guide for targeted support instead of a static report.

• In denial : if surveys show confusion and low awareness, leaders can increase communication, explain the reasons for the change, and repeat key messages in simple language.
• In resistance : if emotional responses show grief and anger, management can create safe spaces for employees to express loss, acknowledge what is ending, and offer concrete support such as coaching or workload adjustments.
• In exploration : if data shows growing curiosity, change leaders can provide more training, pilot opportunities, and visible recognition for experimentation.
• In acceptance and adoption : if engagement scores and behaviors indicate acceptance, organizations can focus on embedding new habits, sharing success stories, and ensuring that employees feel ownership of the new way of working.

Across all stages, the role of middle management is crucial. Their day to day conversations with employees generate some of the richest engagement data, even when it is not captured in formal tools. Encouraging managers to share patterns they see, and combining that with structured metrics, helps organizations respond to the emotional reality of the change curve instead of just the project plan.

Evidence based practices for measuring engagement in change

Research in organizational change and change management consistently shows that employees feel more engaged when they understand what is happening, feel heard, and see that their feedback leads to visible adjustments. Studies published in peer reviewed journals on organizational behavior and occupational psychology highlight three recurring practices that help organizations during major change :

• Using frequent, short surveys during intense stages of change rather than relying only on annual measures.
• Combining quantitative scores with qualitative comments to capture emotional reactions along the change curve.
• Sharing back results quickly with employees, along with specific actions leaders will take in response.

These practices align closely with the kubler ross curve model. They recognize that engagement is not a fixed state but a moving target shaped by emotional stages of grief, denial, resistance, and eventual acceptance. When organizations measure engagement with that in mind, they are far better equipped to support employees and guide the change process toward genuine adoption, not just formal completion.