Gardener

Elder

Maker

Creation Tool

Four Fields of Grief

Navigate loss, change, and transitions to foster resilience, adaptation and growth

Table of Contents

Introduction

Grief is not only a response to the death of a loved one; it can arise from any significant loss. As Michael Cholby explains, we grieve over anything we deeply identify with, such as our profession, a home that we have left, our values, or even hopes and dreams for the future. Whether it’s the loss of a job, a failed project, or a major organizational shift, grief occurs when we lose something we’ve put time, energy, and effort into.

In many professional contexts, there is often not much time or space to acknowledge emotions. We are supposed to be professional and productive. Unprocessed grief, however, will show up if unattended. This tends to manifest as a form of dysfunction—colleagues may leave the organization, people may suffer burnout, or the group culture may lose its spirit and motivation. Healthy grieving is an essential process and often leads to deep transformation that supports personal and organizational growth.

William Worden’s ‘Four Tasks of Mourning’ provides a structured approach to navigating loss. This model helps individuals acknowledge and process their grief, enabling them to adapt and move forward while maintaining a meaningful connection to what was lost. Whether applied in personal or professional settings, our adapted Four Fields of Grief offers a practical framework for emotional healing, resilience, and growth.

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When to use this tool

The Four Fields of Grief are especially useful in these scenarios:

Personal losses: This includes the death of a loved one, divorce, or any significant life changes where grieving is necessary.
- Example: After the loss of a family member, individuals can use the Four Fields to help them come to terms with the reality of the loss and develop ways to move forward while keeping the memory of their loved one alive.
Professional transitions: Use this model when dealing with career changes, job losses, or even the end of a long-term project.
- Example: An employee laid off from a long-standing position can use the Four Fields to accept the career shift, work through the emotional toll, and develop a new career path, while maintaining a connection to the skills and experiences from their previous role.
Organizational transformations: This tool can support entire teams or organizations undergoing restructuring, mergers, or downsizing.
- Example: During a company merger, leadership can apply the Four Fields to help employees acknowledge the changes, process their concerns, and find ways to integrate into the new organizational culture.

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How to use this tool

The Four Fields of Grief guides individuals and groups through a structured process of managing grief, adapting to loss, and fostering growth. The framework consists of four ‘fields’—but it’s important to note that these are not phases or tasks. They are spaces we can visit, explore and revisit as needed.

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1. Acknowledge the loss

‍Encourage acknowledgment and acceptance of the loss or change.

Practical steps: Facilitate open discussions about the loss, whether through one-on-one conversations, team meetings, or journaling. Use rituals or symbolic acts to help individuals confront the reality of the situation. For example, a team may have a closing ceremony to acknowledge the end of a project or phase in their organization.

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2. Experience the emotions

‍Support the expression and processing of emotions related to the loss or ending.

Practical steps: Create spaces (sacred circles) for sharing and conversation, letting people describe their feelings about the loss. Witnessing each other in silence is a powerful way for people to process emotions while feeling heard and seen. Encourage reflective practices such as writing or meditation.

A lighter version of this might involve allowing structured time for venting, or other ways for people to voice their frustrations or worries during times of change. You might introduce a 1-minute ‘rant’ in the weekly team meeting, for example.

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3. Adjust to a world without

‍Help individuals adapt to life or work without what was lost.

Practical steps: Provide guidance on building new routines or adapting to new roles. In a professional setting, this might include training employees for new responsibilities or helping them redefine their career goals after a major change.

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4. Find an enduring connection while moving forward

Facilitate ways for individuals to maintain a meaningful connection to what was lost while continuing to grow in their new reality.

Practical steps: Encourage rituals, memorials, or symbolic actions that help honor the past while fostering growth. In an organization, this could mean celebrating the contributions of a closed department or recognizing past successes as the team moves into a new phase.

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What outcomes to aim for

Healing: Applying the Four Fields helps individuals or groups process their grief in a healthy way, leading to emotional healing and closure.
Resilience: By confronting and working through grief, individuals build emotional resilience that allows them to cope with future challenges more effectively.
Adaptability: Successfully integrating the experience of loss into daily life or professional practice helps people adjust to a new normal and move forward.
Openness to new possibilities: As individuals process their grief and adapt, they create space for new opportunities and ideas to emerge, allowing for personal or organizational growth.

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How to take this further

Share and gather feedback: Discuss the process and outcomes with members of your team to assess how effective the Four Fields of Grief have been for the group. This could be through informal conversations, feedback forms, or group reflection sessions.
Document your process: Keeping a journal or record of your experiences can offer valuable insights for future experiences with grief or change. For example, a company might document how it supported employees through a merger and use that as a model for future transitions.
Teach the method: Share the Four Fields of Grief with others, whether through workshops, seminars, or informal mentorship. This helps reinforce your understanding and enables others to benefit from this structured approach to grief and transition.

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Resources and references

Books: Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy: A Handbook for the Mental Health Practitioner by William Worden; Understanding Grief: Philosophical Reflections on Loss and Living by Michael Cholby
Tools: Grief counseling programs, such as those offered by hospices or employee wellness programs; Support groups, either in-person or online
Courses: Grief Recovery Method certification; Resilience-building programs and workshops focusing on emotional health during transitions

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