If change is really the only constant, and we have to manage it every single day...why do we find it so challenging?
Are our comfort zones too comfy? Or just plain sticky? Do we get too lazy to look at the opportunities around us? And, as Mary Poppins would say "We can't see past the end of our nose."
Change is happening all the time so, what can we do to make it easier? How can we learn to dance on the moving carpet?
1. Change your mindset. Look for the opportunities and you will see them. If we set off with a negative outlook that's what will drive us. Try and think positively about the change and write a list of the opportunities that it gives you. It'll show you the silver lining.
2. Get as much information as possible. Information is key. Speak to people, read about it and understand exactly what is happening and how it affects you, then you'll be able to make informed decisions.
3. Write a list of Pro's and Con's. Lists are good. Download everything that is going round and round in your mind into a list so you can see at a glance the positives and negatives. There's probably not as many as you think. Add an extra column for actions.
4. Communicate positively. It's easy to moan about it, but who likes a moaner? Speak to friends and family about how you feel, but instead of just moaning try adding a positive action at the end of each sentence.
5. Take back control. Change is generally scary when we're not in control. Take back control by having a list of positive actions.
What tips have you got in managing change? Please feel free to let us know by adding a comment
Barbara Nixon
One Response
Building change Bridges
William Bridges focus on transitions and the psychological changes that lie behind behind significant organisational change I think makes some really important points. As Bridges says "it isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions".
His theory involves a three-phase process of:
(1) Ending, Losing, Letting Go – helping people deal with their tangible and intangible losses and mentally prepare to move on
(2) The Neutral Zone – critical psychological realignments and repatterning takes place. This is all about helping get people through it, and capitalising on all the confusion by encouraging them to be innovators
(3) The New Beginning – helping people develop the new identity, experience the new energy, and discover the new sense of purpose that make the change begin to work.
Bridges splits up the stages of transition and suggests that the situational changes are not as difficult for companies to make as the psychological transitions of the people impacted by the change.