Common Challenge: Change Saturation and Stakeholder Overload
Quick Summary
Organizations often underestimate the collective impact of simultaneous initiatives. When too many changes are introduced at once, employees disengage, priorities blur, and adoption drops. This article outlines how to assess capacity and pace change more effectively using the LaMarsh Managed Change™ Model.
The Challenge
Even well-intentioned change leaders can fall into the trap of launching multiple initiatives without considering the total load on the organization. Each project may have merit, but when layered together, the result is fatigue, confusion, and resistance.
Why It Matters
Change saturation is real. When people feel overwhelmed, they revert to old behaviors—not because they’re unwilling, but because they’re overextended. This leads to incomplete adoption, stalled projects, and diminished trust in future initiatives.
The LaMarsh Perspective
The LaMarsh Managed Change™ Model calls for a comprehensive view of risk—including the cumulative impact of all changes. By mapping current and upcoming initiatives, organizations can better sequence, staff, and support change in a sustainable way.
How-to Solution
- Assess the Current Change Load
Take inventory of all active and planned initiatives affecting each stakeholder group. - Map Overlaps and Conflicts
Identify where timing, resources, or messaging may conflict across efforts. - Prioritize and Sequence
Work with leadership to stagger initiatives based on business urgency and capacity. - Communicate Clearly
Let stakeholders know what’s happening, why it matters, and what’s changing now vs. later. - Build in Recovery Time
Create intentional space for reflection and reinforcement between waves of change.
Pro Tip
If everything is a priority, nothing is. Respect your people’s capacity to change—and they’ll meet you there.
Wrap-Up & CTA
Too much change at once undermines even the best initiatives. The LaMarsh Managed Change™ Model helps you pace transformation in a way that sticks.
👉 Need help mapping your change landscape? Join our next Managed Change Workshop or Contact us to get started.
