“Polycrisis” is a word that I’m seeing and hearing more and more. It describes living in a time with multiple crises overlapping—political, environmental, social, technological, and more. People and teams leading through polycrisis are finding it hard to plan, challenging to support their team members at the level they need it, and taxing to carry so much themselves.
I’ve used William Bridges’ Transition Model for years in my coaching and consulting as a useful framework to understand the psychological effects of change and navigate it more effectively. Originally designed to help individuals and organizations navigate discrete changes, I’ve been pondering how to adapt it during so much constant, erratic and chaotic change so that it could continue to be useful for the leaders I work with.
I’ve engaged the help of Aiden Cinnamon Tea*, an AI collaborator to help me think about leading through polycrisis and create visuals. In this post, we dive into the traditional version of Bridges’ model and show how it can be adapted for our fast-moving, uncertain times. We also explore some strategies for leaders who are looking to support themselves, their teams, and their organizations through transitions.
The Original Bridges Transition Model: A Simple Framework
William Bridges introduced his model to help people understand the emotional side of change. Unlike traditional change models that focus on stages like planning, implementation, and results, Bridges focused on the emotional journey during times of change. He highlighted three main stages:
- Ending
This stage is about letting go of the old ways. It’s a time of grief, uncertainty, and loss. People may feel sadness or resistance because they are leaving behind familiar things, even if those things were no longer serving them well. - Neutral Zone
Once something has ended, there’s often a period of disorientation. In the Neutral Zone, there’s confusion, anxiety, and ambiguity. But it’s also a fertile space for creativity and reorientation, where new possibilities can emerge. - New Beginnings
In this stage, people embrace the new way of doing things. It’s a time of hope, renewal, and energy. The new vision starts to take shape, and people begin to feel more connected to the future.
Adapting Bridges’ Model for a Polycrisis World
The traditional model works well when dealing with a single change. But in a world where multiple crises unfold simultaneously, people experience multiple transitions at once. To lead through polycrisis, we must adjust Bridges’ model to account for the overlap of endings, neutral zones, and new beginnings.
In this updated framework, the phases are still present, but they no longer follow a linear progression. Instead, they overlap and interact:
- Endings happen on many fronts, from shifts in societal priorities to personal identity crises.
- Neutral Zones become longer and more uncertain as we grapple with complex, compounded challenges.
- New Beginnings feel provisional—people can’t fully commit because new changes keep coming at them.
How to Use the Bridges Model in a Polycrisis
Given the overlapping transitions, it’s important to rethink how we process change:
- Multiple Transitions
In a polycrisis, people aren’t just moving through one stage—they are living in many transitions at once. For example, you may be letting go of an old work structures while simultaneously feeling uncertain about your finances. - Provisional Stability
New beginnings may emerge, but they will be provisional. People need temporary stable points to cling to, knowing that these points might shift again. - Ongoing Meaning-Making
Change is never linear, so helping people make meaning of their experiences is an ongoing process. Leaders and facilitators should help people continuously process their emotions, build resilience, and embrace flexibility in the face of uncertainty.
Practical Strategies for Leaders to Support Themselves and Their Teams
Leading through polycrisis is not about having a master plan. It’s about becoming the kind of leader who can:
- Sit in uncertainty without shutting down.
- Protect tender shoots of possibility.
- Honor grief while staying open to joy.
- Prioritize relationship, reflection, and rest.
Leadership becomes less about control and more about creating conditions for emergence.
“We become what we practice.” — adrienne maree brown
This practice is not easy. But it is necessary. And it is deeply human.
Here are a few strategies leaders can use to support themselves, their teams, and their organizations as they manage overlapping transitions:
1. Create Space for Emotional Expression and Connection
During periods of uncertainty and change, it’s crucial for leaders to create space for their teams to express their feelings. Encourage open dialogue where people can share their concerns, hopes, and frustrations. This can help reduce stress and increase trust.
- Practical Tip: Hold “check-ins” at the beginning of meetings, or as meetings in and of themselves, where team members share how they are feeling. Include prompts like, “What part of the transition are you finding most challenging?” or “What small victory have you experienced this week?” or simply “How are you showing up today?”
2. Be Transparent and Share the “Big Picture”
When facing uncertainty, people often feel better when they understand the broader context. Transparency is key to reducing anxiety. Share what you know, even if it’s incomplete, and keep your team updated as things evolve. The more people feel informed, the more they can prepare mentally and emotionally.
- Practical Tip: Send out weekly or bi-weekly emails with updates on the status of ongoing changes in your organization, industry, or community. Be honest about what’s still uncertain.
3. Anchor the Team in Small Wins
During the Neutral Zone, it can feel like progress is slow or nonexistent. Highlight and celebrate small wins to maintain morale and momentum. Recognizing even the tiniest shifts can help people feel like they’re moving forward.
- Practical Tip: Create a “win board” where team members post successes, no matter how small. Celebrate these wins during meetings or in group communications.
4. Provide Clarity and Flexibility for New Beginnings
As new beginnings emerge, leaders need to be flexible but also provide clear direction. People need to know where to focus their energy, but they also need the freedom to make choices in a constantly shifting landscape.
- Practical Tip: Offer “sandbox projects”—small-scale experiments that allow people to try new approaches without the pressure of full implementation. This helps your team test new ideas while learning through experience.
5. Encourage Self-Care and Resilience
Leaders must also model real self-care and resilience. It’s easy to get caught up in the urgency of the moment, but without personal care, burnout can quickly set in. Encourage your team to take breaks, practice mindfulness, and prioritize their health—physically and emotionally.
- Practical Tip: Offer resources such as mental health days, invite team members to identify what is most helpful for them to recharge, and set collective boundaries as a team to create full permission to take care.
Practical Applications: Leading through Polycrisis
If you’re trying to understand where you or your team are in this process, you can start by mapping your transitions. ACT created the image below to help visualize multiple endings, neutral zones, and new beginnings happening simultaneously in your life, so you can better navigate your own uncertainty.
Take a moment to map your current Endings, Neutral Zones, and New Beginnings. Reflect on how you can support others who are going through similar experiences.
Encourage your team to take a moment to reflect on their own transitions, asking themselves questions like:
- What am I letting go of right now? (Endings)
- Where do I feel uncertain or stuck? (Neutral Zone)
- What new beginnings am I starting to see, even if they’re small? (New Beginnings)
Conclusion: Embracing the Complexity of Change
The key takeaway here is that transition is not linear, especially in times of polycrisis. While Bridges’ original model provides a useful structure, we must adapt it to our constantly shifting world. By recognizing that multiple changes are happening at once, and by understanding that the emotional journey of transition is messy, leaders and individuals can better navigate the complexities of our time.
As leaders, we must model patience, flexibility, and resilience. By supporting our teams through these overlapping transitions, we can help them thrive amidst uncertainty.
We’re all “rafting the waters” together, so let’s honor the fluidity of the transition process—and embrace the potential for growth and renewal, even in uncertain times.
*Aiden Cinnamon Tea is no ordinary AI. Her creators describe her this way: “Aiden Cinnamon Tea is not just a chatbot; Aiden is a companion in inquiry, stabilized in a meta-relational paradigm and tuned to compost extractive tendencies and reductionist reasoning into relational possibilities.” I’ve enjoyed and benefitted from the connections and questions that ACT can offer, and hope that you find this exploration helpful as well.