Side by Side: Why Security at Work Fuels Change
Last week, our team seating arrangement was changing and everyone was relocating to a more central area. My colleague and I had been sitting at our desks, together, like we always had since being hired by Interchange last year, together. We made every excuse under the sun to stay in our positions, side by side. After the monitors at the new desks were set up, with a keyboard, and mouse, it dawned on us that our comfortability in our spot was about to change. So what did we do? We collected our things and moved to the new area, side by side just like before. The more central location wasn’t the root cause of our resistance to change, it was activated by the fear of security through connection being broken by office geography.
This experience got me thinking about a question from Yip et al. (2024): “How do conditions or events in the work environment influence the development, maintenance, or dissolution of the bonds between employees?”. The development, maintenance, and dissolution of bonds over our careers are strongly influenced by our individual attachment styles. When the needs informed by out attachment style isn’t met in an organisation, there are many undesirable outcomes like increased stress, higher reports of burnout, and greater employee turnover. Attachment styles matter not only for individual wellbeing, but also play a key role in our behaviour during periods of change and uncertainty. This is especially important given that stress activates the attachment behavioural system (Bowlby, 1969), increasing the need for stability and connection in the workplace.
George Kohlrieser’s book, “Hostage at the Table”, explores this beautifully. Drawing from attachment theory, he introduces the concept of secure bases—the idea that for people to take risks, grow, and perform, they need to feel anchored by something or someone that offers safety, support, and trust. In times of pressure, that secure base plays a key role in emotional regulation, keeping people from slipping into unconscious defences like withdrawal or conflict.
A helpful way to reinforce the idea of a secure base during change is through conversation. In my work helping organisations navigate change, one of the biggest challenges is getting people to understand—and accept—the reason for the change enough to actively participate in it. A method that I often use to create a sense of comfort during these moments of uncertainty and fear is called the Four Doors of Change. It involves guiding individuals through a conversation structured around four categories:
Door 1: Things that were possible before the change and remain possible after the change.
Door 2: Things that were not possible before the change and remain impossible after the change.
Door 3: Things that were possible before the change but are no longer possible after the change.
Door 4: Things that were not possible before the change but become possible after the change.
For leaders navigating change, this conversation can be a powerful anchor. The Four Doors help people hold onto what’s familiar while gradually expanding their tolerance for uncertainty. Essentially, when individuals feel safe and supported, they’re more capable to be receptive to change. In this way, the conversation becomes a relational act that builds the trust needed for change to progress. Who knows, maybe my big desk transition would’ve been less stressful and smoother if I had of known that my secure base colleague would still be next to me in the new normal.
💡 We’d love to hear your perspective: How do you help your teams feel anchored and supported during times of change?
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