Recently I drove through the Whittier Tunnel, the longest bimodal tunnel in North America.   

It wasn’t my first time. I’ve gone through the tunnel before, but always as a passenger. So, as we paid our $13.00 toll and the attendant asked if I had been through the tunnel before, I said yes, and she said:

• It’s still open.
• You’re the last vehicle.
• The speed limit is 25.
• Just follow the green lights.

Simple enough. 

So, in we go. It’s a 2.5-mile journey. At first, it’s really fascinating. The tunnel is completely made of rock. You can see where they just blasted right through the mountain. And there isn’t a single support beam anywhere. Honestly, this shouldn’t have been a big deal. Hundreds of vehicles go through this tunnel every day. It’s obviously safe. And yet my stomach was all twisted up in knots. And that’s not like me.

That’s when I realized … There was a light at the end of the tunnel. But not the kind of light that is leading you out of the darkness. It was a long way away, but it looked like a really bright spotlight. A BIG ROUND spotlight …

Now if you don’t know what a bimodal tunnel is, let me explain. Bimodal means “having two modes.” And when you put bimodal together with a tunnel it means that the tunnel supports two modes of transportation. In this case: road vehicles and trains. And notice in this photo: There is only one lane of traffic. …     

Okay. Really. I am NOT panicking. They have a very good system that manages the traffic. They alternate which side of the mountain gets to use the tunnel on the half hour. And they have a whole system of red and green lights that let you know if you’re doing it right. 

 And what did the attendant say? Did I hear her right?

• It’s still open.
• You’re the last vehicle.
• The speed limit is 25.
• Just follow the green lights.

Okay. I can see the green lights. I’m going the speed limit. But there is this BIG spotlight. And it looks like it is getting BIGGER. And all I can think of is … TRAIN!

When change comes at you like a train

And isn’t that just like work?

How often have we, as leaders, given someone a task to do, provided them with a bare bones explanation, got the head nod that indicated they got it, and sent them on their way to complete the task?

How often has there been a small change at work—something like upgrading a standard operating system—and we handled it with an email or a quick announcement at a stand-up team meeting? 

How often, as leaders, have we instituted major changes like a new compensation program, or new job descriptions and titles, or something even bigger like an organizational redesign? And when we shared it with the staff, we dutifully led the meeting, explained the change and why it was necessary, answered questions, and even followed up periodically to reinforce the new direction—all the while thinking to ourselves: “Honestly, I gave you all of the information. This is no big deal. Get over it.”

The Whittier Tunnel attendant had asked me if I had gone through the tunnel before. And even though I was confident that I knew what I needed to know, she STILL gave me the basic information I needed:    

• It’s still open.
• You’re the last vehicle.
• The speed limit is 25.
• Just follow the green lights.

And within three minutes of entering the great unknown (the tunnel), I was panicking.   

1. Regardless of what the attendant (the boss) said.
2. Regardless of my previous experience (I had done this before!).
3. Regardless of the safety features (Whittier has back-up systems for their back-up systems).
4. Regardless of the green lights I was seeing (reinforcement that I was on the right track).

There WAS a BIG spotlight.

It looked like it was getting BIGGER.

And my brain was telling me there was a TRAIN headed right for me.

How to overcome the emotional effects of work-related change

Fear, anxiety, panic attacks—they don’t just show up in dark and dank tunnels. They show up at work. And even the most confident individual’s brain can overreact, sending them into fight or flight.    

So, what can leaders do when someone on their team is in this situation? Facing the unknown and maybe freaking out just a tiny bit?

1^st:  Remember that “telling” your employees about a change up front is not enough. Messages need to be repeated—a lot more often than you would probably prefer.

2^nd: Early on is often the easiest. You’ll find that concerns escalate over time. Pay attention and keep watching. And when the time is right, step up beside them.

3^rd:  How you respond is critical. When someone is in fight or flight mode, they are NOT thinking. Nor are they listening. That means telling them what YOU know doesn’t work. And being judgmental at this stage is the worst. Try asking them a series of questions instead.  

       Ask questions to understand their perspective:

• What are you concerned about?
• What are you seeing?

Ask questions to (gently) challenge their perspective:

• What evidence supports your perspective?
• What would the contrary evidence look like?

Ask questions to move them into problem solving and then decision making: 

• What could you do to overcome these barriers?
• What will be your first step?   

How to use empathy during work-related change

The research on this is very clear. Empathy from leaders is critical. Empathy, however, is not sympathy. And being empathetic TOO long doesn’t work either. Fear, anxiety, and panic often beget fear, anxiety, and panic. So, to ensure someone doesn’t end up in a sit and spin, come along side of them and act as a guide. Help them think through the issue and then support them as they decide on a course of action. That is actually empowerment in action! 

So how did it work for me in Whittier? Well, my long-suffering husband was my guide and in the 3.5 minutes left in the tunnel, he asked: 

• What are you concerned about? I think there is a train coming down the tunnel.
• What makes you say that? Do you SEE that BIG spotlight? It’s getting BIGGER.
• I see it. What else are you seeing? Green lights.
• What does that suggest? Green means go. That’s what she said … But it doesn’t feel like I should keep going.
• What else could that spotlight be? The TRAIN, you %$@&!.

(I told you he was long-suffering.)

• Other than coming at us, what else could the train be doing?
• Waiting for what? It’s turn. (said with more than my fair share of sarcasm)
• What could you do right now? Stop and put this car in reverse.
• What else? Keep going.
• What do you want to do? 😉
• And what ARE you going to do? I guess we should keep going.

And what did we find at the end of the tunnel? 

The train, waiting it’s turn—with its BIG spotlight shining directly into the tunnel!

Funny how this stuff works—even with the person who supposedly teaches others how to do this!