How to Surpass Impossible Tasks in Work Life Transition

In the change process the workers feel motivated and satisfied, but they also experience significant stress, fatigue and feelings of incompetence related to the transitions. Most of the stress, fatigue and feelings of incompetence related to transitions at work seem to derive from tasks which, in spite of training programs, are experienced as impossible double bindings by the workers. Our ethnographic observations and interviews in four different organizations showed that impossible tasks were common, especially in situations of change. In our study, we have identified, documented and analyzed in detail the most salient impossible tasks in the various work activities in different types of change processes. Between May and August 1999 we have had five different interventions with five work units (in four organizations). In these processes the work units had first analysed the impossible tasks they had encountered. The analysis phase includes the near history of the work unit and its activity, and more real life data concerning the impossible task. The impossible task has then been overcome by systematic interventions in real life situations. The analysis and data has been sent to the planners and managers, and dialogues have been started with them. At the end of the projects, the work unit will evaluate the results they have obtained and the development and learning process they have gone through. In the analysis of the process we have used the theoretical tools of Cultural Historical Activity Theory.