Take Charge of Change So It Works For You and Your Career

 
Issue #18: August 31, 2002

To our readers:

Change is so ubiquitous and inevitable it has inspired the thought of philosophers and writers for thousands of years. From Heraclitus, who said sometime before 480 b.c., "All is flux, nothing stays still," to Honorat de Bueil, Marquis de Racan, who said in the 17th century, "Nothing in the world lasts save eternal change," to Alphonse Karr who said in the 19th century, "The more things change, the more they remain the same," to today's business consultants who offer companies "change management," writers have recorded this great truth: change is inevitable.

Change in our work lives arrives in many forms: a merger with another firm; new procedures for accomplishing a task; a new chain of command; a new location for your office; a new boss; a new software program; new colleagues to work with; a new economy to make your way in. According to a May 20 BusinessWeek article, population changes will result in a greater diversity of people in the work place, which could mean still more change for you in your work life. You can take charge of the inevitable change or let it run over you, but you can't escape it.






Brief Tips #18: Five Tips for Taking Charge of Change:

1. Embrace change.

View change as exciting, as keeping life fresh and new. It seems simplistic, but once you stop fighting the inevitability of change you'll find it is less daunting. When a change appears to be negative and your natural response is to resist it, sit with that response for awhile. It's not necessary to pretend to yourself that you like every change. But once the fact of the change has sunk in, let the fear and resistance go. Embrace the change and make the most of it.

2. Free yourself from the tyranny of denial.

Don't let yourself put off dealing with impending change by denying it is inevitable. When hints of change come your way, open your eyes wide and investigate. Find out what is going to happen and when. If there are rumbles of a rearrangement in the organizational chart, ask your manager what she or he knows about it. Talk to people who should know.

One of the most frightening changes is being laid off. If your company's situation makes it possible that management will use layoffs to cut costs, find out all you can about if, when, and how those layoffs might occur. Learn as much as possible about how the layoffs will affect you and your department. Will you be let go? Will you be retained, and given more responsibilities? Will you be asked to remain with the company for a particular length of time only?

3. Take charge of your own response to change.

Tip #2 gets you started on this path by making sure you are alert to change as, or before, it happens. Once you know a change is going to take place, you can think about how it will affect you and how you can take advantage of it. If your reconnaissance tells you that you are likely to be let go, begin thinking seriously about where you would like to end up. Consider whether you want to stay in the same industry or try a new one. Determine if you want to keep doing the same kind of job or a new type of work. Consider the possibility of starting your own business, perhaps being a contractor for your current employer.






Meet other changes with the same kind of creativity. If you're faced with a new chain of command, find out all you can about those above and below you on that chain. How can you best relate to your new boss, and what can you learn from him or her? How can you best motivate your new direct report? What can you bring to the new business relationship that will help you and your organization? Responding to change in this positive, pragmatic manner makes you much more valuable to your organization.

4. If the impending change is a bad one, make your case against it.

Sometimes change is bad. If all your open-mindedness and positive investigation of an impending change lead to the conclusion that the change will be bad for your business, do what you can to avert it. If your manager is preparing to inaugurate a system for paying bonuses that you know will make people angry rather than motivate them, write a proposal to your manager that explains why this is so, and that offers a system that will motivate people. Acknowledge the beneficial aspects of your manager's plan and explain how your changes will capitalize on those aspects and avoid the negative ones. Keep it positive and make it thorough. If your plan is shot down and the bad one is used, you will have the satisfaction of knowing you did what you could to improve it. You will have done your best to take charge of change.

5. Laugh often.

Believe it or not, laughter can actually help you meet change head-on. According to Duane Smelser, a trainer/coach in Beaverton, Oregon www.onlyresults.com, lightness and humor mixed with genuine respect for people's concerns can reveal the positive possibilities, and help people shift perspectives. Like a refreshing rain that clears the air of a smoggy day, laughter can clear your thoughts and leave your mind open to new possibilities. Change then looks inviting, not forbidding.