Personal lives change as people get older, so do jobs, careers and organizations. However, human beings, by nature, do tend to resent change and resist it strongly. The whole process can be very distressing to employees and negative emotions (or reactions) could stem out of it, this is why it is always advisable to recognize the different stages of change and anticipate its impact in order to take preventive measures.
What are the different stages of change?
- Denial: Change has been announced. Employees fight it and strive to defend their status-quo at this stage.
- Anger: Employees realize they can not possibly avoid the new occurring organizational change. Insecurity, lack of self esteem and chaos are the main highlights of this stage.
- Dejection: By this stage, employees have realized they can not have the old ways back and they have no other choice but to let go of them. The anger is now translated into remorse and despair.
- Acceptance: This happens when employees are finally acknowledging the fact that this change is bound to happen. They are now starting to reflect on the new ways and removing old hurdles from their way.
- Learning & Development: This takes place when employees finally realize that this change could actually improve their upcoming prospects and decide to focus their efforts in absorbing it and moving forward.
What are Bayt.com’s tips to deal with change at the workplace?
- Make yourself aware that change happens: it happens in personal life, it happens in your professional life. You can not live in the past, so denying that change could occur only makes things more complicated for you.
- Stay alert at the workplace: know what is happening around you. When you come across clues that hint change is on the way, acknowledge them!
- Anticipate the change process by recognizing its different stages: keep in mind the faster you get to the acceptance stage, the more promising things will look for you.
- Maintain open communication channels: Don’t lay back and expect things to pass you by smoothly. You need to get acquainted with the occurring changes. Seek more details from your management and peers to form an accurate understanding of the matter. Be transparent and honest about your fears: dealing with the unknown is often resented and daunting. Make the picture as clear as you can.
- Assess yourself: Change is a time when one’s confidence about one’s skills and capabilities gets shaky. Recognize your strengths and where you could bring them into play. At the same time, stay aware of your developmental areas and work on improving those.
- Don’t be stiff: It will make the change process much harder if you are rigid. Be flexible enough to look at the different angles of the change and see where you could apply your “existing” skills and knowledge, and what news skills you need to acquire.
- Stay optimistic: Keep a positive attitude and don’t let yourself drown in uncertainty. Involve yourself in the new process; locate yourself properly in the new scenario. Adjust!
“You can’t get to the top of Everest by jumping up the mountain. You get to the mountaintop by taking incremental steps. Step by step, you get to the goal”, says Robin Sharma, one of the world’s most-sought-after leadership and personal success experts.
