Happy Global Change Management Day! It’s said that the only constant is change. And the sooner we learn to roll with it, the sooner we can learn to accept and embrace our own evolution through the changes we are undergoing. It might not always be so easy, but if we start by acknowledging that change always happen, just like the seasons always change, we can be more prepared and welcoming. This is the key to letting go of some of the resistance and make the change go smoother.

We can divide changes into either changing something we do into something else, or changing how we do things. We can also divide changes into those imposed by others and those we take initiative to do ourselves. When others, whether our bosses at work, our teachers or parents or any other authority figure, demand us to change, the most natural and common way to react is by resistance. The way to deal with both your own resistance and others’, is to understand why the change is needed and what you can get from it. If you’d like to be more in control, see the change initiative as something necessary and turn it into your own project by offering ideas on how you can do it.

A simple example is this: You want your child to keep his or her room cleaner and tidier, at least once a week. Instead of refusing and getting upset at being told to, offer him or her the reins and ask what they can do differently that can help themselves. Can you offer more places for storage? Can you allow them to re-arrange their furniture? Can they make it a habit to hang in their clothes every evening and only take out those they’re going to wear the next day and get to decide that themselves? How will this make them feel? If you know that you’re going to nag on your child every Saturday, encourage him or her to take control and do it on Friday afternoon instead, perhaps with a little reward after. When we take control of a change, we feel more powerful and confident, and lessen resistance. Enable others to feel more empowered thus, help us get the change underway too.

Now, take this example into the workplace. Let’s say that your boss wants you to implement a new IT-system where your documents and cases will be filed every Tuesday after a mandatory meeting on Monday morning. Instead of procrastinating and becoming stressed out at the end of your workday Monday, take a pro-active approach by asking what the benefits are for the company with this new system. How is it better for the environment? Then it will be easier for you to understand your own part in it and how you can contribute to more efficiency, something that will make you into a more valuable asset, if you too become more efficient. If this for example enables you to handle more clients or gain better oversight over them you already have, you can enable the company to increase their quality and make more money. By keeping track of this on your own, you will have a good case for negotiating your salary 6 months or a year from now. And the thing you can do to alleviate your own stress, is to file those documents already Friday afternoon instead. That will free up your time and even allow you to help others too.

Regardless of the kind of change that is needed, understanding why it’s called for, what its purpose is, and what the desired result will be, enable you to better follow along, as well as to see how you can come up with ideas yourself for improvement. Perhaps you see a solution not tried yet, that you can propose for the management? Can you try it out with a co-worker first and then get your whole department on board? When we see change as something that will have a positive outcome, whether that is to learn a new set of skills and perform better, or even to see why you might need to change your job instead or even your profession entirely, becoming a change leader, is the sure way of working with your own best interest at heart first and foremost, and then others second. And the better you feel, the better you will be at relating, working and performing. Take charge of the change!

If the change requires you to change your way, your approach and even your mindset so that you grow in your identity, it’s called a transformation. If the change is about doing what you already are doing but better and faster, it’s called an improvement. When you make an actual exchange, it’s called a change.

To get yourself into balance and to support your journey towards your goals, that always includes making changes, whether your habits, where you live or who you work with, consider working with a professional coach. He or she can help you clarify the steps you need to take and hold you accountable for taking them, with support.

If you’d like to make some changes in your business, don’t hesitate to contact a Change Management consultant or a Business coach to see how they can help you. 

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