The Pace of Change Is Hard on People. How Are You Managing It?
- Jacqueline Lombardo
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
You’re not imagining it. The pace of change is accelerating, and the cumulative effect is wearing people down. New technology, evolving staffing models, rising client expectations and constant pressure to grow are colliding. But firm leaders often overlook the fact that you cannot separate change from people. Every operational or technological shift lands on humans first.
If you’re still treating change as a project to roll out rather than a transition to manage, that approach is no longer sufficient.
Change fatigue is real (and it’s costly)
Gallagher’s 2025 Workforce Trends Report found that change fatigue is one of the top five barriers to success, with 44% of participants ranking it as the most impactful barrier, second only to low capacity (49%).
Change overload leads to burnout, disengagement and attrition. In accounting and advisory firms, the nature of the work compounds this fatigue. Busy seasons don’t pause for system implementations. Client demands continue, and leaders are expected to run the business while simultaneously building the firm of the future.
When change is non-stop, even high performers struggle to keep up.
You can’t improve processes or technology without managing people
Many firms invest heavily in process improvement initiatives, workflow redesigns and new technology platforms, assuming adoption will follow once the tools are in place. In reality, rolling out changes without structured change management creates confusion and resistance.
Change management is the discipline that connects strategy, process and people.
ProSci’s survey of more than 2,600 change practitioners presented a compelling case for change management. Among participants with excellent change management programs in place, 88% met or exceeded project objectives. Among those with good change management programs, 73% met or exceeded objectives, compared with 39% with fair programs and 13% with poor programs.
Talented people don’t resist change because they’re unwilling. They resist when they don’t understand the “why,” don’t see how it affects them or don’t feel supported in learning new ways of working.
HR and L&D are at the center of this shift
Human Resources and Learning & Development are undergoing their own transformation. Companies heavily market new HR and L&D technologies and AI-driven tools, but many firms have yet to see the promised return. At the same time, staffing models are evolving in response to talent shortages, outsourcing and automation. Each model requires different onboarding, training and performance support.
This is where HR and L&D can act as strategic partners, not just compliance functions. Their roles include:
Helping leaders assess capacity risks and change initiatives stack up
Designing communication strategies that reduce uncertainty and rumors
Supporting managers with training so they can answer employee questions or know where to direct them when answers aren’t yet clear
Firms that treat HR as a back-office function miss a critical opportunity to support and stabilize their workforce during periods of change.
Managing burnout requires intentional design
Burnout often stems from ambiguity and a lack of control. Exhaustion follows when firm leaders ask people to adopt new tools, processes or expectations without clarity or a clear pace.
Effective change management helps firms slow the experience of change even when the external environment is moving fast. This includes being deliberate about sequencing initiatives, clearly communicating what’s changing and what isn’t and acknowledging the strain that constant adaptations create.
Helping employees shift their mindset is the first step toward successful change, according to the NeuroLeadership Institute. In practice, this means equipping managers to lead through uncertainty rather than assuming information will cascade on its own.
Preparing for today and the future at the same time
Firm leaders must navigate a tricky balancing act: supporting the current business model while preparing for a future where AI and automation will fundamentally change how work gets done. That raises practical questions, like:
What skills do we need right now?
What skills will matter if AI fulfills its promise?
How do we retrain and redeploy people rather than burn them out?
We can’t answer these questions through technology decisions alone. It requires ongoing dialogue, workforce planning and change management capabilities that evolve over time.
Ultimately, change management is a leadership capability that firms must build deliberately. When done well, it reduces resistance, protects capacity and helps people stay engaged even as expectations shift.
The pace of change isn’t slowing down. Firms that acknowledge the human impact and invest in managing change are better positioned to retain talent, sustain performance and build for the future.
Could your firm’s HR and talent leaders benefit from a peer network?
Are you ready to upskill your team and transform your firm?
The Boomer Learning & Development Circle is a peer group of learning and development professionals in the accounting profession who share tools and resources to properly support their firms’ learning and development goals. Apply now to ensure you’re focusing on the right skills, engaging learners and demonstrating value to other firm leaders.
Jacqueline Lombardo is the Operations Manager at Boomer Consulting, Inc., where she facilitates the Boomer Talent and CAAS Circles and contributes to developing the Boomer Knowledge Network. With a Master’s in HR, Kolbe certification, and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, she specializes in translating complexity into clarity and aligning diverse teams. Jacqueline is known for her creative facilitation, thought leadership, and human-centric approach. She’s also an outdoor enthusiast and world traveler, having explored more than 25 countries.