The Government's recent White Paper on local government reorganisation has shifted the attention of councils across the country. While the goals of improved accountability, streamlined services, and efficiency make sense on paper, the real and often overlooked human impact of such changes brings uncertainty, anxiety and stress. This is especially true for long-serving public sector workers, who may face losing roles that have long shaped their professional identities.

As an organisational psychologist and a local government leader, we've helped numerous organisations through changes like this. In doing so, we've seen how effective leadership can make an enormous difference. What distinguishes successful change management is the practice of simple, human actions. At the heart of these actions is a framework we refer to as the ABC Model: affective (emotional), behaviour, and cognition stages. To lead through change effectively, leaders must understand and respond to these stages in the order of A-C-B.