Satir Change Management Model Process Checklist

Satir Change Management Model Process Checklists focuses on the emotions an employee will go through during change to manage the impact of these emotions on overall performance.

Satir Change Management Model: An introduction

Developed by Virginia Satir the Satir Change Model is similar to the Kubler-Ross model in that it applies the five stages of grief during the process of change. The Satir model is a way of predicting and tracking the impact of change on the overall performance of the employees.

The Satir change management model is made up of 5 stages:

• Late Status Quo
• Resistance
• Chaos
• Integration
• New status Quo

As this model focuses on tracking the impacts of change on performance, rather than tackling negative performance effects, it is best practice to use the Satir Change Management Model alongside a method that actively supports your changes.

What’s good about it

Like Kubler-Ross, the Satir is good at anticipating the impact of a change before it happens. The model even justifies the change to the employees as they go through the chaos phase. The turmoil they face during this stage is accepted to be natural, meaning the changes are more likely to stick.

The Satir model provides an easy way to analyze the impact of changes at a glance – by producing a graph detailing ongoing performance. You can compare the effects of various changes made and provide a measure of your business progression.

What’s bad about it

The Satir Change Model assumes that change will increase performance. This assumption is not checked and often taken for granted.

It is also difficult to tell when the last stages of change have been reached, with few actionable tips to guide the employees through the process.

Finally, the Satir model is only suited for measuring and predicting the effect of change, and not for analyzing what changes need to be made (or how to make them).

How to use this checklist

At the beginning of this checklist, you will be presented with a set of specialized questions given as form fields. You are required to populate each form field with your data.

The checklist is broken down into the 5 stages of the Satir Change Management Model:

• Stage 1: Late status quo
• Stage 2: Resistance
• Stage 3: Chaos
• Stage 4: Integration
• Stage 5: New status quo

At the end of each stage, your supervisor/manager will review your work using Process Street’s approvals feature. Other features used in this template include: 

• Stop tasks – To ensure task order.
• Dynamic due dates – To make sure your initiative is reviewed on time.
• Role assignment – To delegate tasks within your tea, ensuring your supervisors is appropriately assigned to the review tasks.
• Approvals – Tasks can be accepted, rejected and rejected with comments.

In this Satir Change Management Model Process Checklist, you will be presented with the following form fields for which you are required to populate with your specific data. More information for each form field type is provided via linkage to our help pages:

• Subtasks 
• Long text
• Short text 
• Date
• Approvals
• Website form field
• File upload form field
• Role assignments
• Multiple choice

Let’s start by recording your business details, your details, and the details of your supervisor or manager.

This is a stop task, meaning you cannot progress in this template until the required form fields are populated.

Business details

Your details

Details of Manager/Supervisor

Checklist details

Once set, the due dates for each phase in this Satir Change Management Model Process Checklist will be used to set a dynamic due date, notifying your manager for the needed stage approval when required.

To begin this Satir Change Management Model Process Checklist, take the time to give a summary overview of the changes you intend to implement and explain why you want to implement these changes.

Next, consider potential roadblocks you could encounter during the implementation of change. Summarize how you intend to remove these roadblocks.

Use the long-text form fields to detail this information

The late status quo is where things currently are and how they are doing. This is your starting point.

During this phase, there will be a consistent performance, and your team is most likely comfortable with there they are. Your team should know what to expect and have plenty of experience with minimal challenges.

During this phase, it is important to encourage your team to seek out ways to improve their work.

You could set up a centralized document on which your employees can add their suggestions for improvement.

Use the file upload or website form field (if it is an online document) below to add the document to this checklist.

Self-preserved systems become imbalanced when something happens that people in the system can no longer deny. A foreign element is generated that is internal, external, or random.

Ignoring, rejecting, or neutralizing these foreign elements is classed as a defense mechanism. Doing so only brings an organization closer to breaking point, as compromises are made to maintain current ways of doing things.

Look out for foreign elements that could knock your status quo out of balance. Select the most appropriate option from the drop-down form field below. Use the long-text form field to provide further

A foreign element is a work element that is not part of the normal work cycle – this could be introduced intentionally, by accident or as part of an occasional change.

During the late status quo stage, some employees may be looking for a change. This is important to acknowledge.

With the information gathered, it is time to plan for the needed change.

Change plan

Areas for improvement

File upload (if applicable): {{form.File_upload_-_Areas_for_improvement}}

Online documentation URL (if applicable): {{form.Online_URL_-_Areas_for_improvement}}

Foreign Element

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Use the information above to plan the changes needed. Use the long-text form fields below to detail your plan:

• Summarize the change needed
• Set change objectives
• Detail change process – how you will implement the changes

As the foreign element is introduced, there will be resistance against it. Individuals within the organization will resist the change introduced. Look out for behaviors such as:

Be prepared for a decline in employee trust during the resistance phase.

When a new element or change is introduced, there will be resistance. This resistance can be encountered at any level, from the CEO to the front-line employees.

This resistance is usually confronted by denial or dismissal.

The resistance phase is characterized by a dive in your employee productivity. You must help your team overcome the resistance phase.

To start you need to re-affirm the need for change. Use the long-text form field below to re-affirm.

You can set up a meeting with your team to communicate the need for the changes introduced.

Use the date form field to select a meeting date. Use the members form field to select those to attend this meeting.

It is now time to run the stage 2 meeting to communicate the need for change to your team during the resistance phase.

This is a stop task meaning you cannot progress in this checklist until the meeting has occurred.

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You need to measure the effect the resistance phase has on the performance of your employees. Begin by noting down Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that you can track to measure the change response.

From tracking the above KPI’s you can measure the impact of change on performance and plan your response accordingly.

Your response needs to limit change’s impact on your team as much as possible.

Use the long-text form field below to document your response plan.

Use your KPI’s measures to plot the  performance.

“Choas: a state of things in which chance is supreme” – Mariam Webster, Chaos

During the chaos period, the emotional impact of the changes made needs addressing. Regardless of the size of changes made, there will be a negative impact on your employee’s productivity.

It is important during this phase to listen to feedback, answer questions, and consider implementing a mentor (or a general support) system.

To listen to feedback, it is best to set up a group meeting with all those affected by the changes made. Use the date form field to set a time for this meeting. Then use the members form field to select the members to attend.

It is time to run the stage 3 meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to gather feedback on the changes made and answer questions put forward.

Document this feedback and common questions in a centralized document system.

This is a stop task meaning you cannot progress in this checklist until the stage 3 meeting has been carried out.

During the stage 3 meeting, you should have documented feedback obtained, and the questions put forward with the associated answers. Having a centralized document is the best way to document this feedback.

Use the file upload or the website form field below to add the documented feedback to this checklist.

Individuals will respond to change in several different ways during the chaos phase. Look out for behavior such as:

By observing individual behavior, you can identify those most impacted by the changes made, and cater a support system appropriately.

You need to set up a support system to help your team navigate the chaos phase. This could include assigning a mentor.

Use the long-text form field below to detail the support system to be implemented.

Your KPI’s to track: {{form.KPI’s_to_track}}

Continue tracking the performance of your team during this phase. Acknowledge that:

Continue to track team performance, making sure your support systems remain in place.

During the integration phase, productivity begins to sharply improve and enthusiasm towards the changes made will take hold.

However, all involved will still need the support systems in place to help them navigate any problems they might encounter and to ensure this enthusiasm is not lost.

During the integration phase:

KPI’s to track: {{form.KPI’s_to_track}}

As changes are implemented into your system, it is important to acknowledge that adopting these different approaches can be slow.

Make sure you acknowledge:

The implemented change becomes the norm. This is the new status quo.

The aim is that this new status quo results in a higher level of performance than the first status quo.

Comparing the performance of this new status quo against the starting performance should reveal a higher level of performance if the changes made were advantageous.

You can use this performance graph as evidence to support your changes made, dictating the changes made were worth it.

It is important to interpret the results and pick apart the reasons why performance trends were as they are shown. Regardless of whether your changes were a success or a failure, you can use the results to influence further changes. 

• Dale H. Emery – Managing Yourself Through Change
• Evolve Agility – Satir Change Model
• The Free Dictionary – Foreign element
• Evolve Agility – Satir Change Model
• Process Street – 8 Critical Change Management Models to Evolve and Survive
• Satir Workshops – Satir Change Model
• Merriam Webster – Chaos
• Image – Geralt, re-sized
• Image – ninocare, re-sized
• Image – Geralt, re-sized
• Image – nickgesell, re