Why Change Goes Wrong And What You Can Do About It

Change is made more difficult if we don’t have the right skills to deal with it. There needs to be a fine balance between the level of change and our skills in coping with change in order for it to be successful.

An imbalance between these competing forces can lead to:

Not enough skills + Change = Stress

Not enough skills + No change = Apathy

Right skills + No change = Boredom

However, when we get the balance right the result can be an unlimited opportunity to learn and grow. This is the kind of change we should be aiming for all the time.

Right skills + Change = Growth

Skills that make the difference

Although change is natural, most of us do not possess a natural ability to deal with it. However, mastering change is a skill that can be learnt. There are a number of qualities that successful people have developed to help them adapt to change. They include:

Self aware
The self aware person is someone who knows their strengths and weaknesses and uses this information to work on improving themselves. They are aware of their own resistances to change and have identified ways to work on overcoming them.

Flexible
The ability to remain flexible and open to new ideas is essential when change is all around you. Successful people have looked at nature and seen how trees adapt to difficult circumstances. They have learnt to bend with the change rather than fight against it.

High self esteem
People who have a high level of self esteem that is not dependent on external factors are the ones who deal best with change. They know that even if things go wrong they have confidence in their own abilities and they don't take things personally.

Positive attitude
Having a positive attitude is half the battle when it comes to change. If you believe that things will work out for the best in the end, then they often will. Positive people know that "if you think you can or you think you can't, you're right".

Tolerant of uncertainty
Being good at dealing with change involves being comfortable with that feeling of uncertainty that comes with any change. Successful people welcome the transition phase and are willing to feel unsure for a while.

Learns from the past
They say experience is the name you give to your mistakes. The change ready person has learnt that there is no such thing as a mistake, only an opportunity to learn.

Lateral thinker
Being a lateral thinker is all about seeing things differently to the next person. It means letting go of old ideas and searching for new ways of doing things.

So next time you look at announcing another change in your workplace, take a look at this list. Do your people already have the right skills for making change successful? If they don’t, what can you start doing today to get them ready for change?

Encourage people to keep a list of their achievements, big and small. As well as increasing their self esteem it will provide valuable information for their next performance review.
Debrief everything you do: marketing campaigns, client functions, proposals, training programs. Ask what worked, what didn't and what lessons you have learnt for next time.
Increase self awareness and get staff thinking about their strengths and weaknesses via one of the many personality profiling models available.
Develop lateral thinking skills by holding regular brainstorming sessions at team meetings to solve problems you encounter regularly.
Encourage positive thinking by starting each meeting with a positive point from each person. It could be work or personal, as long as it's positive!

Buy Karen Schmidt's Audio Seminar CD from the Resource Centre:

What It Takes To Engage The Generations At Work

Karen Schmidt from Let’s Grow! is an award winning professional speaker, workshop leader and author who creates fresh workplace attitudes that help people and organisations grow! Contact Karen on 0411 745 430 or visit www.letsgrow.com.au.
First published: 20 February 2006.
Last updated: 1 August 2006.