The Lie of the Finish Line: Why “Change” Can Feel Like a Betrayal to Employees
“We just need to get through this quarter.”
That’s what leadership said. Right before the layoffs. Right before the restructuring. Right before the new software rollout, the office redesign, and the culture refresh. By the time the third “just one more change” hit, the team stopped listening. Not because they didn’t care. Because they couldn’t afford to anymore.
When change is framed as something with a clear end… like a sprint, a project, a phase… it triggers hope. But when that hope is repeatedly crushed, it breeds something worse than resistance. It breeds betrayal.
Why the Brain Feels Betrayed
Our brains are prediction machines. We’re wired to seek stability and pattern. Even small disruptions can trigger a stress response if they come without clear expectations.
So when leaders say: “Don’t worry, this change will be done by June and then we’ll get back to normal,” people want to believe it. They brace. They grind through. They postpone rest. They postpone doubt.
But when the finish line gets moved—again and again—the brain registers betrayal, not adaptation.
This isn’t just emotional. It’s neurological. False endings spike cortisol and erode psychological safety, especially when employees realize: this isn’t the end. It’s just another round.
Enter: Integrated Strategic Change
Here’s the truth your team senses—whether it’s been said out loud or not: There is no end to change. And pretending otherwise breaks trust.
That’s where Worley, Hitchin, and Ross’s Integrated Strategic Change (ISC) model slaps some sense into the whole system.
The ISC approach argues that strategic change is a dynamic, continuous process of aligning three moving parts:
Strategy (where you’re going)
Design (how you’re structured to get there)
Implementation (how you’re actually operating)
““Strategic change is not about fixing problems. It’s about aligning an evolving organization to an evolving environment.””
When leaders skip this alignment and instead treat change as a box to check, employees feel it. The message becomes: "We don’t have a plan. We’re reacting. And you’re just along for the ride."
No wonder people detach.
Let’s Talk About Lisa.
Lisa’s a mid-level manager in a 1,000-person tech company. She’s good at her job. Resilient. Calm under pressure. But after three years of rolling transformations, each pitched as “the last one,” she’s stopped attending optional town halls. She doesn’t coach her direct reports like she used to. She doesn’t push back when a new policy hits.
It’s not burnout. It’s protective detachment, a common response when the nervous system decides hope isn’t safe anymore.
Lisa isn’t resisting change. She’s resisting the lie that it’s over.
Stop Selling “Done.” Start Building Capacity.
So what do you do instead?
✅ Be honest: Change is not a sprint. It’s a rhythm. Stop pretending the tide will stop coming in.
✅ Anchor in what’s stable: Purpose. Values. Shared rituals. These are the shoreline.
✅ Co-create the process: Let teams set the pace where possible. Give control back in small, meaningful ways.
✅ Shift your frame: Don’t “roll out” change. Align it—strategically, structurally, and behaviorally.
Because when people feel like the organization knows where it’s going and why it’s evolving, they don’t brace for betrayal. They move with you.
