Change is all around us…it is here to stay and we must learn to respond to it in a way that supports each of us, our organization and our familes.  Easier said than done?!

Change can be perceived as exciting to some or overwhelming for others.  How we respond to it is critical to our success.  Some people simply deny the change, others put their energy and thoughts into resisting the change and yet a small few jump quickly into exploring how to leverage this change.  Eventually, most of us get through the change, however, the speed at which we do it and the pain we experience and pass to others can have significant impact on us and our organizations.

The fact remains that technology continues to create change, customer needs impact how we deliver to them, the global economy is impacting change personally and professionally, and the speed at which we are expected to adapt to change also seems to be increasing.  So, what can you do about it?

First, pause and recognize how YOU respond to change.  If necessary, look to an assessment to help you or your team identify your reactions and stress behaviours.  This can be the easy part.  Understanding how to adjust your response can be more difficult, that’s why so many of us continue to react in the same, less-than-effective way over and over again!  There are some great assessments which, in addition to identifying your reactions & stress behaviours, also remind you of your strengths.  They also provide practical tips for developing your muscle of behavioural change.

A complicating factor is the fact that our response to change differs as we as human beings are unique.  To recognize and accept the fact that we have different reactions and feelings around change is the next step.  Be tolerant of others.  This doesn’t mean that you let them stay stuck in the quicksand of change and their response to it, however.

If you lead people, there are things you can do to support others and to ensure that they take control for their behaviour in a positive way for themselves and the organization.  Start by asking what they need to better understand the change and their plan to move through it.

A Coach can provide the confidential, trusting support that a leader within the organization can’t or isn’t enabled to provide to an individual who is stuck.  A personalized Coaching engagement can move individuals very quickly through these barriers and result in observable measured outcomes for the individual and their business results.

Differentiating between what you can control and what you can’t control is another very important factor in moving through change.  Recognizing the challenges and the opportunites will become much more clear when we take the time to examine what we can and cannot control.

So, as the whirlwind of change continues around us, arm yourself and your organization with the means to move forward, so you aren’t left behind.

– Jerome Zeyen, Principal Consultant
InsightHR Consulting
www.insighthr.ca
Tel. 1-888-600-8288