Coping with Change

1
Coping with Change

• The best laid schemes omice and men often go
  astray. Robert Burns
• 1759-1796

2
Adapting to Change

• Objectives-
• Understand the factors that affect your own and
  others response to change
• Apply constructive strategies to manage the
  uncertainties posed by change.

3
A.J. Cronin quote

• Life is no straight and easy corridor along
  which we travel free and unhampered, but a maze
  of passages, through which we must seek our way,
  lost and confused, now and again checked in a
  blind alley.
• But always, if we have faith a door will open
  for us, not perhaps one that we ourselves would
  ever have thought of, but one that will
  ultimately prove good for us.

4
Coping with Change

• Change management exercise

5
What I know for sure

• In the work that we do, there will be change.
  Such as
• Leadership Downsizing Reorganization
  Growth Change in staffing Regulations
  Technology Consumers..etc.

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How we react (JHS Employee Assistance)

• Anxiety around not knowing
• Anger that this happening to you and/or
  organization
• An enormous ( and unrealistic) responsibility to
  make everything OK for your co-workers or
  consumers)

• Concerns about how your work will be handled with
  the changes that may come
• Frustration about how decisions are being made.
• Wondering if anybody is really in charge or knows
  what is happening

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How we react cont.

• Anger, sadness, frustration that this is
  happening
• Feelings of inadequacy, guilt, and or superiority
• Fear that there may be more change
• Feeling exhausted and/or like you have more
  energy than usual

• Concerns about what this means about the future
• A strong need to prove your value to the agency
  or to yourself
• Difficulty sleeping-falling asleep or staying
  asleep
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

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So what does it take to be adept at adapting to
change?

• Experts in analyzing what it takes to overcome
  obstacles that may be associated with change
  acknowledge personality traits and the how one
  reacts to change.

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Personality Traits

• An awareness of whats going on in the immediate
  surroundings/
• world. They anticipate change before it
  happens, and have a plan to take advantage of new
  situations and opportunities

• They dont put their head in the sand and pretend
  change wont happen and /or affect thrm. Thats
  certainly a recipe for disaster!

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Personality cont.

• They are proactive and list the barriers to
  changes, both internally and externally, that
  they believe stands in their way to whatever they
  are to accomplish.

• They ignore internal barriersthose self-created
  doubts that run through ones head oh, itll
  never work, or oh, it wont happen to me,

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Personality- cont.

• They believe in sharing these changes and
  anxieties up with friends and family to dispel
  barriers.
• They approach change with a can do attitude,
  actively trying to lessen obstacles thrown at
  them from others (or the organization).

• They look for positive solutions and/or
  outcomes, or try to compromise and find ways
  around problems/ situations brought about by
  change.
• They never give up before pro-actively trying to
  manage the situation

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Personality- cont.

• Finally, they believe that change is not always
  a bad thing. By stretching and occasionally
  taking a slight risk, the rewards can be
  considerable!

• They realize that change is irreversible. One can
  hate it and try to ignore it. Or, one can stay
  aware of whats going on around them, anticipate
  and plan for change, meet it head-on and figure
  out how to make it work for them.

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Other characteristics

• Some people cope with change better than others
  because they use certain key skills. And they can
  be learned!

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Other characteristics- cont.

• Commitment- having a strong sense of purpose and
  meaning in what one does. They re-create that
  commitment in making successful transitions to
  new assignments.

• Control- they look for what they can control in
  their work, and accept those aspects which are
  beyond their control.
• Challenge- they see change as an opportunity to
  learn new skills and not as something to fear or
  avoid.

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Other characteristics- cont.

• Connection- they value their friendships with
  people, respect their co-workers, have a common
  bond and purpose with those around them.

• Andthey see their contribution as part of a
  larger whole.

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But.

• What if you just dont have a natural personality
  for change. What do you do then?

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Handling your reaction

• Expect a reaction!
• Accept that your feelings are the natural result
  of being in an uncomfortable situation.
• Tell yourself the truth- Allow yourself to be
  upset, worried or sad.
• Get as much information as you can about how or
  if your situation will change.

• Reach out to others.Talk with people you can
  trust about your experiences, reactions, and
  feelings. If you have access to a Mentor go to
  them or consider an Employee Assistance Program.
• Give yourself time to deal with it.
• Take the time to grieve the losses that change
  brings.

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Handling your reaction

• Be flexible and go with the flow.
• If you can, avoid making major decisions. If that
  cannot be avoided, consult with someone you trust
  to help review options and to evaluate them.
• Get some exercise

• If you have trouble concentrating , allow extra
  time to do usual tasks and temporarily decrease
  your expectations about what you can accomplish
  in a day.
• If you are feeling exhausted, recognize that you
  may need extra rest.
• - JHS Employee Assistance Program

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Handling the reaction-cont.

• Hang onto the familiar. If the change is big then
  keep up many familiar things as you can and
  remind yourself of how much in your life isnt
  changing.

• Divide it up. When possible divide bigger changes
  into smaller steps. When we are overwhelmed by
  the enormity of the change, concentrate on the
  step you've reached, rather than the bigger
  picture.

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Handling the reaction-cont.

• Find the good in the change. Sometimes you have
  to look very hard to find the blessing in
  changes, but there always is one. Its through
  change that we grow wiser and stronger and learn
  to make better decisions.

• Know that it will end. All change comes to an
  end when the new circumstances are in place and
  become familiar to you. Every change, no matter
  how big, will end and you will return to a
  feeling of normality. This too shall pass !

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Handling your reaction- cont. Cope, Inc.
(another model)

• Similar to the experience of grief and loss, the
  transition process has at least four
• phases
• Denial- People continue to work as usual as if
  nothing has changed.

• Denial is harmful because it slows down the
  natural process of moving forward. Focusing on
  the way things are and are slow to explore how
  they can and must change, the process of change
  does no move forward.

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Handling your reaction- cont.

• Resistance- Once the denial phase has passed,
  resistance to change sets in. People focus on the
  impact change will have on them personally.
  There is a lot of grumbling, productivity may
  drop, and thoughts of leaving the organization
  increase.

• This phase will pass more quickly if people
  are able to express their grievances. Anger and
  frustration are normal feelings at times like
  this. People discover they have the same
  reactions co-workers do, so they are not alone in
  their distress.

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Handling your reaction- cont.

• Acceptance- Gradually, acceptance of the
  inevitable change comes about. This is the time
  for individuals in the
• organization to re-group.
• Transition- During this phase people begin to
  focus their attention on the future.

• Using their best problem solving skills,
  individuals are challenged to find their place in
  the new order of things. This phase can create a
  renewed sense of connectedness among co-workers.

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Handling your reaction- cont.

• The rebuilding in this phase strengthens the
  awareness of personal competency and belonging.
  Allegiance to the workplace is restored.

• Commitment- Finally, workgroups are ready to
  commit to a work plan, changes in leadership is
  accepted and job responsibilities are defined.
  The mission of the organization is outlined and
  action plans make thing happen.

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Handout

• The Process of Adapting to Change

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In Closing

• Who moved the cheese?
• A parable

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In closing

• Hand out
• Evaluation
• Thank you so much for coming!