Learning and development (L&D) is a huge driver for organizational change. Change brings new ideas and approaches — positioning L&D as a central force in launching learning initiatives and communicating shifts across the organization. As Dave Barnett, chief administrative officer at DeVry University, puts it, “L&D teams tend to be on the front-line of change.”

For learning leaders, leading change can look like:

• Technology rollouts. Designing training programs that help employees adopt new tools.
• Organizational restructuring. Providing support through manager coaching, new team onboarding sessions and communication training.
• Cultural or behavioral shifts. Rolling out learning experiences that model a company’s new set of values or focus, for example, toward innovation, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) or customer-centricity.

Overall, change management in L&D involves helping people adapt to new systems, structures or strategies — while also implementing training and support strategies that minimize burnout and prevent change fatigue.

What is Change Fatigue?

Change fatigue is the physical, emotional and mental exhaustion employees feel when they’re overwhelmed by frequent or poorly managed organizational changes. It’s a relevant issue since 71% of employees suffer from change fatigue and have since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report by Capterra.

According to Steve Nolan, CEO of The Ariel Group, change fatigue is a form of organizational burnout masked as apathy or quiet compliance. He says that it can show up in the way learners approach stretch opportunities and invest in their own growth. Barnett shares similar observations, explaining that change fatigue shows up largely as exhaustion and a higher degree of burnout, which can lead to increases in absenteeism.

Why Change Fatigue Happens

In the Capterra report, out of the employees suffering from change fatigue, 83% say their employer hasn’t provided enough tools or resources to help them adapt to changes at work. When employees feel like their employers aren’t giving them what they need to adapt to a new work environment, policy or technology, then then they can become exasperated and begin to disconnect from the business.

Dr. Michelle Rozen, author of “The 6% Club” and speaker, explains that change fatigue occurs when individuals are overwhelmed by the pace or volume of change — and feel unequipped with the skills needed to navigate it effectively. “We can’t get mad at people for suffering and saying that they’re having a hard time — if you’re running a marathon and you have bad shoes, you’re going to have a bad time,” says Dr. Rozen, emphasizing the importance of providing employees with the tools and resources needed to adapt to new changes. “Let’s give them the right shoes to run a marathon. And that’s exactly what learning and development is for — to convey that message to leadership.”

As a learning leader, you’re responsible for helping leadership understand what their employees need to adapt and thrive — and how failing to provide those resources can negatively impact the business.

How Change Fatigue Affects the Business

Change fatigue typically leads to resistance to change, and this can affect:

• Employee performance. Change fatigue can affect how much people contribute to the business. When employees are burnt out, they can be less likely to innovate and think outside of the box. Nolan shares that because change fatigue chips away at employees’ cognitive bandwidth, it can make their performance become transactional. The value of learning becomes reduced to another tick-the-box assignment versus a valuable experience. The company culture shifts from prioritizing learning to “surviving.”
• Employee motivation and engagement. Burnout and stress can lead employees to disconnect from their individual and team goals. “It stems back to engagement and the emotional connection to work,” says Chelsea Seid, CEO of Talent Praxis. When engagement levels drop, Seid says we tend to see loss of productivity and focus, along with a decreased interest to collaborate, exceed expectations and anticipate needs and blind spots.

As drivers of change, L&D must serve as connectors between leadership and employees — creating streamlined, open communication channels to ensure everyone receives the support they need. Of course, this is easier said than done, as change takes different forms across organizations and industries. Still, one constant remains: Clear, consistent communication is essential during times of rapid change. And it could be the ticket to preventing and addressing change fatigue.

4 Strategies to Preventing and Addressing Change Fatigue

Even amid change fatigue, learning leaders must continue delivering training, especially in highly regulated industries where they have limited control over the pace of initiatives. However, learning leaders can still influence how that learning is delivered.

L&D plays a crucial role in creating a supportive, stress-reducing environment by bridging the gap between what employees need and what leadership provides. Since the root cause of change fatigue often stems from a lack of resources, skills or support from leadership, it’s up to L&D to surface those needs and help address them.

Through conversations with leaders navigating transformation, four key themes consistently emerge as essential to leading through change: visibility, clarity, communication and empathy. By embedding these principles into your change management strategies, you can not only deliver effective learning but also help the business lead with intention.

1.    Ensure Visibility

A huge factor of change fatigue is the feeling of uncertainty. Navigating the unknown can be scary. People appreciate having the full picture, so they know how to respond. L&D leaders must enforce visibility by ensuring transparency and equitable access to updates. It’s about keeping people in the loop and eliminating surprises.

To promote visibility, Seid says that L&D must have the tools to disseminate information, especially from the top down. And the best tools are already at our fingertips. For example, L&D can coordinate with executives to create a short, clear video explaining the “why” behind a policy change and distribute it through multiple internal channels (e.g., training modules, company-wide emails, intranet). Then, they can integrate the video into their learning initiatives to reinforce alignment and accountability.

2.    Promote Clarity

Even when communications are accessible, a lack of clarity can still lead to misalignment and ambiguity. L&D must ensure messages are not just delivered, but truly understood. Frequent communication is important, but if the message is vague, it won’t lead to alignment.

Nolan notes that one of the biggest drivers of change fatigue is unclear communication. “They already have high anxiety, and if the communication isn’t about why it’s right for you and your professional development, people will fill in the gaps with their own assumptions, which can fuel their anxiety even more.”

Elsa Powel Strong, senior vice president of solutions strategy at The Ariel Group, recalls a high-stakes transformation at a global insurance company. To reduce change fatigue and promote alignment, the company partnered with one of their coaches to help leaders establish a structured cadence of conversations. “I think, ultimately, what made it successful wasn’t a new process, but really the presence of dialogue, and people learning to talk about change in a way that provides clarity,” Strong explains. “That has a ripple effect on how they work and transition through these new developments.

3.    Streamline Communication

While visibility and clarity are essential to effective communication, L&D must also create consistent opportunities to connect with their teams. It goes beyond making the message clear and accessible but also maintaining a continuous flow of open communication.

For starters, create spaces like open forums or group chats for employees to voice concerns, ask questions and provide feedback, ensuring they feel heard, supported and involved in the process. You can also launch a monthly “Change Pulse”— a short, interactive survey built into the learning management system (LMS) that asks employees how they’re feeling about the recent change, what’s working and where they need support. The results can be shared in team meetings and used to adjust training content or timelines.

Open communication also includes sharing progress and celebrating wins. This can drive meaningful change and empower employees to embrace it. In times of stress, it’s easy to focus on what’s going wrong — but spotlighting successes can reignite a sense of purpose and motivation. People learn by example, and when positive behaviors are recognized, it can give others something to emulate and strive for.

4.    Practice Empathy

Empathy is what gives communication meaning and impact. It helps people connect to the message and feel seen, heard and valued. When employees believe the company recognizes their concerns — and understands how change is affecting them not just at work but at home — they’re more likely to reciprocate that care and jump on board.

Strong describes empathy as believing in your people and trusting that they’re doing their best under the circumstances. It’s about communicating with mutual respect and authenticity. “I think that makes a big difference in tone and how the learning comes across,” she says. “It’s addressing the learner as a whole person — not just a role.”

When communicating during high-stress periods, it’s essential to lead with connection. Nolan advises L&D teams to slow down and be intentional with messaging to ensure it lands well, because you may only get one chance. “First impressions matter,” he says. That’s why communication should be grounded in context, meaning and consistency. He also recommends leadership coaching as a valuable investment to prepare leaders for navigating tough conversations.

Barnett highlights the link between employee mindset and behavior change. “People can’t change an outcome, only their behavior. And people only change their behavior when they change their thinking.” When L&D leads with empathy, they can better understand their employees’ mindsets and how to help them shift it toward the future.

Dr. Rozen reinforces the importance of taking a holistic, empathetic approach to leading transformation — one that balances organizational foresight with individual autonomy. Employees need the freedom to guide their own learning journeys, but organizations also have a responsibility to clearly articulate the path forward and provide the resources people need today to succeed tomorrow.

Looking Ahead

To lead through change, L&D must communicate clearly, provide context and make progress visible. Just as importantly, they should lead with empathy by staying attuned to employee needs. By doing so, L&D can connect leadership with what employees need to succeed while continuing to deliver effective, meaningful learning.