A Quick Tip

Remember small kindnesses and forget small faults.

– Chinese Proverb

Succeeding and Thriving Through Organizational Change

Energizing Yourself for Change
One of the challenging results of organizational change is that it can leave you feeling fatigued. All of your efforts are focused on new tasks, responsibilities, and relationships. Because of this, you need to look for strategies to maintain and even increase your personal energy during times of change.

Create a Vision

Nothing is more personally motivating than creating a compelling vision. Visualize yourself succeeding as a result of the change. Imagine the benefits of growing as a result of the change -- creating new opportunities, building a more exciting and dynamic future, and opening up new opportunities for success.

List Opportunities

What are the opportunities presented by the change? Make a list of all the ways that you can grow, add new skills, meet influential people, and add valuable experience to your resumes.

Create Networks

It's difficult to create energy in a vacuum. Most people need the stimulation of other individuals and their ideas, input, feedback, and support. Times of change offer an opportunity to add to the network of people who understand you, believe in you, and are willing to help you move forward.

Build Bridges

Organizational change normally involves the establishment of new relationships. Sometimes you resist these new relationships, especially if it involves a new supervisor or a perceived loss of your authority. Instead of retreating from the new relationship, draw energy from it by embracing it and building bridges between yourself and people you encounter. Meeting new people is usually highly energizing because it gives you the opportunity to find commonalities in your values and goals and in the creativity of collaboration.

"Adjust to Change" by Steve Bobowski

A question I was recently asked:
"My company is currently under new management and I don’t know what to expect. There are so many changes happening that I feel unsure if I will even have a job tomorrow. I am afraid of what my future holds and what might happen next. I feel like my whole world is falling apart."

Does this sound familiar?

There are always changes in the business world. We picture the worst scenario and become anxious of the dramatic changes we could be faced with, but when you really think about it, change is not a bad thing. In this situation, try these following tactics:

1. Avoid being overly emotional. It is obvious that any potentially major changes in life bring emotions. However, very often we let these emotions take a toll and affect our everyday relationships as well as our performance at work. If we become blanketed in our emotions, we start to lose focus and miss out on newer information.
2. Don’t panic - put that energy into getting more information. At this point in time you probably have a thousand questions swarming in your head. Don’t let your mind run wild making up answers. The best thing that you can do is to ask every question you think of. Find out what other employees have done in similar situations. Take an assessment of what you can do if your worst fears are realized – what are the opportunities in your community, what other jobs are you qualified for, etc.
3. Negotiate the halftime of your life. Change can be a good thing. At this time you could create a focus and mission for yourself. Try to think about something that you have always wanted to do, but haven’t had the opportunity. Perhaps you have a dream that you can finally realize if you find yourself out of a job.
4. Manage your stress. If you begin obsessing about the negative, remember to count your blessings - your family, your health, your talents. Even though you think what has happened is the worst thing ever, just read a news magazine to realize how much you have. Don’t think too far into the future and use day-tight compartments whenever possible. Your concentration should be on your work at the moment. Set short-term goals to feel better when you get them accomplished.

What tactic do you use to mangage the change that you experience in your life? Post your idea so others may benefit.

You may want to check out our 90 minute workshop Thriving During Difficult Economic Times - Adjusting to Change. Sessions are coming up in Milwaukee/West Allis, Waukesha, Kenosha, and Walworth.

Steven G. Bobowski
President
Dale Carnegie Solutions
Steve.Bobowski@dalecarnegie.com

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