The secret to managing change at work
Sometimes it seems like the moment you settle into a comfortable pattern at work, something ends up altering and disrupting it! You might be required to use a totally new piece of software, assume more responsibility, or assigned to a new supervisor, who is not familiar with the company’s mode of operation.
Working through change isn’t always simple. Many people react initially with fear, annoyance, confusion, or a combination of all of the above.
However, not everyone approaches change in the same manner. Both individuals who welcome change and those who are resistant to it can be found in the workplace. What’s the dividing line?
It’s frequently a combination two factors:
- How effectively the change team handles and communicates the change project.
- The employee’s personal perspective on the development.
There are some strategies you can adopt to assist you manage the process of change at the workplace, even if you can’t stop a transformation that affects your daily routine.
Adapting to Change at Work
The developer of Bridges Transition Model for change, William Bridges states, “We resist transition not because we can’t accept the change, but because we can’t accept letting go of that piece of ourselves that we have to give up, when and because the situation has changed.”
The secret to managing change at work, is realizing that there is always an emotional component to any kind of change.
Change implies an end to the way things are now done, and it’s not just a shift in the process; it’s also a change that can be extremely personal, because it entails letting go of routines and behaviors that may have developed into second nature. It entails entering a less familiar territory and having to learn specific processes all over again.
In order to effectively manage change at work, you must be self-aware of your feelings about the change and dig deeper than your initial response to learn WHY it is happening.
For instance, you might have worry about a change at work that will affect your position, making you ignore all other thing being said to you about the change.
You can assert, “Things were OK the way they were” or “I’ve done all I can, there’s nothing else for me to do.”
You might acknowledge your fear if you look deeper into the emotions that are driving your feelings and how poorly you’re adjusting to change at work.
Fear of not being able to learn the new process, or of not being able to keep up with new responsibilities, and thereby having to be relieved of the job.
These are completely natural feelings that any change management team will anticipate and address.
In order to reach the point where you can easily accept change in the workplace, you must go through a number of stages.
It’s up to you to be open to managing the shift in the workplace, ask questions to help reduce your first emotional response, and bring yourself to a position of embracing change at work.
At Prime KBS Institute’s Change Management Workshop, our subject-matter experts explore the most common factors that drive inflection points – crisis, technological evolution, process reviews, consumer habit changes, pressure from new business entrants, acquisitions, mergers, organizational restructuring, and many more. Our change management experts are trained to assist you along the way.
