Below is a summary of Bridge's description of this sequence. Denial is a natural first stage in the process of endings. People may deny that any loss will take place in an effort to protect themselves from the first impact of loss. This denial is a healthy response to change if it does not last too long. At some point, it may need to be pointed out to folks that the change is really, actually going to happen, no buts about it.
Anger can be everything from grumbling to outright rage and is often misdirected or undirected.
It can often lead to foot-dragging or even the making of many mistakes. A key response to this anger is acknowledging that it is a very understandable emotion to be experiencing. It is important to distinguish between the acceptable feeling and acting-out behavior that is not acceptable. Bargaining includes making unrealistic attempts to get out of the situation or to make it go away, trying to strike special deals, and making big promises of improvement if the change will just go away. Distinguishing these efforts from real problem solving is important.