Re-Humanising Change: Leading with the Human Mood in Mind

Nearly every client I’m speaking with right now is going through some form of change.

Some small - a minor team restructure, a shift in priorities. 

Some major - mergers, rebrands, or full-scale transformation.

It’s not surprising, really. The pace of change in the environment we’re all working in is relentless. But what strikes me most isn’t that organisations are changing - it’s how.

Almost every transformation plan I see includes time for the ‘people bit’: engagement sessions, workshops, discussions about culture or connection. But too often, it’s seen as an activity to complete rather than the place to start. People sense that - and it shows.

The conversations feel surface-level, the trust feels fragile, and the energy doesn’t last. People start to quietly resist change or switch off altogether.

It’s tempting to blame the strategy. Or the timing. Or even the comms. But more often than not, transformation doesn’t fail because of poor strategy or plans - it fails because leaders overlook the human mood.

Right now, so many teams are running on empty. Years of uncertainty, digital overload, and relentless ‘transformation’ have left people overwhelmed, disconnected, and, frankly, a little numb.

And when people are numb, no amount of new processes or vision statements will get through.

Before we can ask people to perform differently, we have to help them feel differently.

That means re-humanising work - rebuilding trust, connection, and a sense of shared purpose before we layer on strategy, structure, or performance goals.

Because when people feel seen, safe, and genuinely part of something bigger, they don’t need to be pushed to perform. They want to.

So if you’re leading change right now, it might be worth asking:

• Have we really listened - or just communicated?

• Have we created space for people to connect - or just for updates?

• And have we earned trust before asking for buy-in?

Transformation isn’t just about systems, structure, or strategy. It’s about emotion - and the courage to lead from a more human place.

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P.S. The most successful transformations don’t start with a strategy deck. They start with a conversation - an honest one - about how people really feel. That’s where the real work begins.