When transforming businesses most value is lost when you negotiate with targets (your team members) who are angry at the change.

Anger is a natural part of the change curve, it comes in just after immobilisation and denial.

Humans hate change, we like things to be predictable.

We get angry with being asked to do something differently, something that we have to rebuild the mental models in our head for.

A well learned tactic is to negotiate with the purpose of limiting the scale of change we have to undertake.

As a leader, leading change, it is tough to hold firm. We don’t like to see other humans in pain, especially if that hurt is directed at us.

Reducing the scope of a change to minimise its impact is a short-term tactic only, one which reduce the benefits that the change will deliver you and your organisation.

And the reason we do it; to help our teams feel better, because their pain is making us feel bad.

We trade away value because of our own discomfort in the moment.

Thing is; Leadership is not easy and it won’t always make us feel good.

Focus on the outcome you want to acheive. This is not the time to give up on your dreams.

Be empathetic don’t negotiate. The anger will pass. Time is a great healer.