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Acceptance
The final stage is acceptance, as the scientist realises that fighting the change is not going to make it go away, they move into a stage of acceptance. It is not a happy space, but rather a resigned attitude towards the change, and a sense that they must get on with it. Within this frame a scientist can learn a lot about themselves as they start to work outside of their normal comfort zones.
Figure 3: The Kübler-Ross model showing the impact of change associated with the introduction of new technology.
There are five stage to the Kübler-Ross model, with each one discussed below.
Denial
The denial phase is usually a temporary defence that gives us time to absorb news of change before moving on to other stages. Often with the introduction of new disruptive technology the lab user can be left with feelings of numbness and shock, as the task of bringing in the technology seems overwhelming, and so there is a tendency at this initial stage to not believe that the change is happening.
Anger
Eventually it will be realised that the introduction of the new technology is real, and this may result in the denial turning to anger. Now we get angry and look to blame someone or something for making this happen to us. There will tend to be a focus for the anger, the person who brought in the new technology, but this may not always be the case. This can result in the scientist being more irritable towards colleagues.
Bargaining
The bargaining phase is an attempt to postpone what is inevitable. Bargaining can also be seen as a potential route out of having to use the technology, with the benefits of the older technology often been exaggerated above its capabilities at this point.
Depression
Eventually, it hits the scientists that the bargaining is not going to work and the reality of having to introduce the new technology hits home. This has the potential to move people towards a sad state, feeling down and depressed with low energy. People dealing with change at work may reach a point of feeling demotivated and uncertain about their future.
Conclusion
As a community, separation scientists will have an interest in what new technologies are being introduced and the potential impact that this could have on the industry. The introduction of the new technology has to be done very carefully. There can be a tendency of ‘NIMBY’ (not in my back yard) as it can be very disruptive to the routine sample analysis and initially not always in a beneficial manner. The vendor has a critical role to support the chromatographer, ensuring that the separation scientist is buying a fully working solution that will have minimal impact on their day to day job. If the scientist is left to fend for themselves at this point, the technology will probably die. It is also important that the scientist sees the positive impact that the technology will have at the end of the journey. Working together is critical for introducing new technology and concepts in an efficient and successful manner. With all change there will be disruption but maintaining hope, that the final destination will be better, is something that as scientists we should embrace, and perhaps no more so than in an age where we are seeing substantial change. Let us hope that the destination will be reached soon and that we will be in a better place.
References
1. “Crossing the Chasm”, 3rd Edition: Geoffrey A. Moore, Collins Business Essentials (2014)
2. “On death and dying”, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Simon & Schuster Australia (1969)
It should be noted that the curve is not linear in the sense that one stage follows the next, as it is very feasible to move backwards as well as forwards when implementing change. It should also be noted that hope is also an important thread that runs throughout the whole process. This hope is the belief that there will be a positive end to the change and that there is some meaning that will eventually be learned from the experience. It can be seen as an important indicator of our ability to successfully navigate change. Even in the most difficult circumstances there is an opportunity for growth and learning.
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