In this conversation with Kristina Green on The Generational Edge, Jennifer Fondrevay explores what really happens to people when workplace change hits—regardless of age, role, or experience. Drawing on her work as Chief Humanity Officer and her years guiding leaders through mergers, acquisitions, and major transformation, Jennifer highlights a truth many leaders overlook: change doesn’t disrupt processes first, it disrupts people.
Jennifer explains why anxiety rises, trust erodes, and productivity drops when uncertainty enters the workplace, and why these reactions aren’t “resistance” or generational stereotypes—they’re grief. Not dramatic grief, not performative grief, but the very real emotional response people experience when their work identity, routines, or relationships are threatened.
She and Kristina dismantle the myth that younger generations adapt more easily while older generations slow things down. In Jennifer’s experience, every generation feels the impact of transition; they simply process it differently. Leaders who understand this can communicate more clearly, rebuild trust more intentionally, and guide their teams through change with far greater effectiveness.
This episode offers a grounded, human lens on leading through disruption—naming what people feel, giving language to the emotional side of transition, and reminding leaders that change is human long before it becomes strategic.
Key themes Jennifer discusses:
- Uncertainty is what destabilizes people—not the change itself
- Workplace change often triggers grief
- Generational assumptions undermine trust and connection
- Clear language helps people process what they’re experiencing
- Trust is shaped by how change is communicated
