Change Signal Kübler-Ross was Wrong! Jacqueline Kappers
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Apr 17, 2026 Jacqueline Kappers, a change practitioner and researcher focused on grief and transitions, challenges the routine use of the Kübler-Ross curve. She explores how treating change as linear harms people. She introduces the ideas of a grief fingerprint and change fingerprint. She argues for individual-focused, scalable approaches and practical language to build real change capacity.
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Kübler-Ross Was Not Designed For Organizational Change
- The Kübler-Ross five-stage curve was based on anecdotal interviews with terminally ill patients and described diagnosis-to-death, not general change.
- Jacqueline Kappers warns change practitioners co-opted it into a neat, linear model that often misrepresents how people actually respond to organizational change.
The Grief Curve Tempts Linear Thinking
- The five-stage curve presents grief as linear (denial → anger → bargaining → depression → acceptance), implying predictable progression.
- Michael and Jacqueline highlight that its tidy progression tempts leaders to force people into stages rather than honour individual variation.
Avoid Grief Shaming During Transformations
- Avoid shoehorning people into the five-stage model because that creates 'grief shaming' when individuals don't follow the prescribed timeline.
- Jacqueline explains grief shaming causes shame, reduced wellbeing, and lowered productivity when people are rushed to 'get over it.'