Change happens all the time in a workplace setting. Change as an event, is situational. It is external to us as an individual, and as such we are able to adapt to the new situation. As we try to do so, we may experience a gradual psychological reorientation, during the ‘transition period’.
How to Manage Change
For you, and those in your team it is important to understand why these changes are happening and how they may not necessarily have a negative impact on your position. So, ask yourself:
- Which changes have impacted you?
- In what ways have they affected your roles and responsibilities?
- How do you feel about these changes
Action Plan for thriving through change
A – Awareness. Be aware of your actions and strategies of self-care
C – Control. Acknowledge your beliefs and values and how these may be affected.
T – Thoughts. Talk with yourself as to how you may stay true to your beliefs and values while still focussing on your responsibilities at work.
Change Is Not All Bad News
What we gain from the new change at work may be greater than the loss of the original. Change is an opportunity to look at life through a new lens, and may even help us overcome fear of the unknown. Furthermore, change challenges us to adopt new ways of thinking, and adapt to new circumstances.
Unhelpful thinking patterns
Be aware and watch out for:
- Catastrophising
This is when you begin to view or present the situation as worse than it actually is. Think of it as the snow-ball effect of over-worrying. - Black and white thinking
This is the thinking process where one fails to bring together the positive and negative qualities of something into a cohesive, and realistic whole where there may be “grey” aspects of a situation. This is a common, personal defence mechanism. - Romanticising the past
By romanticising a past situation or set of conditions, you are exaggerating the original situations benefits, and therefore not thinking realistically in regards to the past.
Be Accountable
Self-Awareness
Everyone has survived changes in their life, so think about a previous change that you have experienced and ask:
- What has helped you get through it?
- What had hindered you to accept the change?
- Did it eventually help you?
- If not, what actions did you take to ensure you can still be productive everyday?
