You can practically hear the woman in the photo saying “I’m over it!” Frustration of this magnitude is generally experienced in a workplace when a gigantic change is in motion, or about to begin. Your office location might be moving, software/hardware could be undergoing a transformation, or your entire company could be in the process of being sold, and in all of these cases, leadership decided to make the change and didn’t ask your opinion on the matter. However, you’re now having to deal with the outcome.
Let’s get all of the cliches out of the way, “The only thing constant is change,” “Change is a good thing,” “The more things change, the more things stay the same,” and “If you’re not riding the wave of change, you’ll find yourself underneath it.” This is likely not the first time in your professional life that you’ve had to endure change. However, no matter how many times you have to go through it, the process doesn’t seem to get any easier? Why? It’s because it makes you feel uncomfortable. Something is going from a state that you know and understand to something that you don’t know, and don’t totally understand. You can’t put yourself into the new context, and that is not a pleasant feeling. It also can usher in feelings of doubt, irritation and an overwhelming urge to question everyone and everything associated with the shifting circumstances. So how are you supposed to successfully navigate the changing atmosphere without losing your cool? Below you’ll find few strategies to help you get through many types of unwanted change you could experience in your workplace.
Not all change is bad.
In spite of the negative feelings you may or may not be experiencing due to the changing circumstances, keep in mind that not all change is bad. For example, if your company is being sold, you’re probably wondering what the new ownership is going to do with current staff, if the direction of the company will change, and if your current perks and flexible working schedule will be a thing of the past. It’s perfectly normal to wonder about all of those things, but there are wonderful things that could come out of a merger or acquisition. Your new leadership may invest in your department and you’ll finally get to pursue a project that’s been in the infant stage for years. You might join a portfolio of companies that are doing very different things, and one of them might be an organization you’ve always wanted to work for. Your old leadership will be replaced with new leadership that might have purchased your company because they’re passionate about what you do. Passion is contagious, you might catch it and experience a renewed interest in your role. No matter what sort of change your organization is undergoing, try to see the whole picture, and focus on more than the potentially negative outcomes.
Don’t fight it.
Let’s say your whole office is undergoing a renovation. This means everything is going to get upgraded, painted and replaced. That also means that your favorite desk chair is headed straight for the dumpster or the basement. You have two options here. You can tell your manager or department head that you’re not coming to work if you have to give up your chair, or you can give your new chair a try. Your old chair is broken in, you look forward to sitting in it every day. Your new chair, while it won’t arrive at your desk pre-formed to your silhouette, the technology is probably a little better, and you might even end up liking it better than its predecessor. However, if you stick to your guns and refuse your new chair, you won’t ever know what the new chair could have done for you. “Do what you’ve always done, and you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”
Lead the way.
If you have the type of personality that has a tough time not understanding every aspect of a situation, or not having enough information to do your own research, change can be tougher for you than most. If this describes your “need to know,” one approach is to figure out how you can help leadership take their vision for the changes and implement them throughout various areas of the company, or within your team. Position yourself as an asset to help lead the change instead of being the annoying employee who always has questions and complaints about the situation. If you’re leading the way, you’ll be highlighting your skills as a leader, finding a positive way to deal with the change, and positioning yourself as a trusted conduit for employee feedback and troubleshooting.
Pick your battles.
Refer to the example we just gave you about the chair. When you’re about to look like the woman in the photo in the beginning of this blog, pause to think about why this issue is making you so upset and what you hope to achieve by bringing it up to your manager or leadership. If the answer to this question is, “I’m so irritated, and I just don’t think I should have to go through this,” think twice about venting to someone inside your company. A vent session with a friend or a loved one during your commute home might just do the trick. If you think bringing the issue to light will genuinely impact you and your co-workers positively, you should consider discussing your grievances. However, before you do this, put a plan together for how to best express yourself. Simply stomping down the hallway within earshot of anyone who might listen is not a sound strategy. Instead, determine why it’s a legitimate complaint, know what you want to fix it, and better yet, explain why solving the problem now will translate into an increase in the bottom line, staff time savings, a capital expenditure reduction, or some other pain point the company has identified in previous communication. If you can account for the who, what, when, where and why in your complaint and solution, you’ll avoid being labeled a “complainer” and potentially establish yourself as a thought leader and problem solver. -If you can save the company money along the way, you might be able to add “hero” to your list of attributes.
If you take anything away from this blog post, let it be that we know change is tough, and how you feel about it might not be pretty, professional, or tied up with a neat little bow. However, if you decide to speak up about how things are going in a time of turmoil, the way you phrase and approach voicing your displeasure will speak volumes about your talents as a professional, and potentially your leadership capabilities. Make sure you have plan, a goal/solution you want to reach, and know how your voice can make a positive impact for you and/or your co-workers. If you ultimately decide that this change is not for the better, you’ll start working on a new plan, your exit plan.