The Roanoke Times Send This Story To A Friend. A colleague and I have been working with several organizations to increase individual and organizational resilience and to reduce individual and organizational resistance to change. We've come to expect the muffled laughs that happen as we begin listing the signs of future shock. Future shock is the state of unhappy, confused, angry, stressed or frightened individuals.
People laugh as they recognize themselves and their experiences in the list.
As we near the end of the list of signs of future shock, someone will, inevitably, note that all the signs of future shock are present in their organization. Around the room, heads nod in agreement. There is no visible end to the change we're experiencing. If we get to the end of this change, there will be more change from another direction. People who are ill-prepared show signs of their distress as change mounts.