When working on strategy and change, it’s a good idea to start by exploring “The Four Room Apartment,” a model developed by the Swiss psychologist Claes Janssen.

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As the name suggests, this is a 4-room model.

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Rooms 1 and 2: Here, people are confronted with a challenge or an event that causes them to go into denial. In denial, people put up resistance. You can get stuck in this room for a long time if you are unable to let go of the need to correct, judge, or condemn yourself and/or others.

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Spaces 3 and 4: are filled with anxiety and confusion. Ironically, this is the stage where you can learn the most and use that confusion to challenge your old assumptions or ways of thinking. Spending time in the third and fourth spaces offers the opportunity to let go of limiting mindsets. Renewal comes when you let go of the anxiety and fear of facing the unknown. Renewal becomes a source of inspiration, transformation, and growth.

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The cycle continues as you grow over time, and with each journey through the four rooms, you take your growth to a new level.

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What space are you in right now? Articulate this and demonstrate it in your work.

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For illustrative purposes, the model looks like this:

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