ADAPT or DIE!!!

How hard it is adapting to change in the workplace!!!

In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive working environment, it is crucial for organizations to be flexible enough to change, in order to remain popular, profitable and prominent.

Change management has always been an issue of debate amongst human beings in general and the main question is how can employers create suitable conditions for a successful change process? And what can employees do to get through it?

 

As our personal lives change as people get older, so do our jobs, careers and organizations. However, human beings, by nature, do tend to resent change and resist strongly to it. The whole process can be very distressing to employees and negative emotions can come out of it in an inappropriate manner, this is why it is always advisable to recognise the different stages of change and anticipate its impact in order to take preventive measures.

According to Bayt.com, there are 5 different stages of change. Namely:

 

1.  Denial: Change has been announced. Employees fight it and  strive to defend their status-quo at this stage.

 

2. Anger: Employees realise they can not possibly avoid the new occurring organisational change. Insecurity,   lack of self esteem and chaos are the main highlights of this stage.

 

3. Dejection: By this stage, employees have realised they can not have the old ways back and they have no other choice but to let go of them. The anger is now translated into remorse and despair.

 

4.  Acceptance: This happens when employees are finally acknowledging the fact that this change is bound to happen. They are now starting to reflect on the new ways and removing old hurdles from their way.

 

5.  Learning & Development: This takes place when employees finally realise that this change could actually improve their upcoming prospects and decide to focus their efforts in absorbing it and moving forward.

Here are some tips to help deal with change at the workplace

• Stay alert at the workplace: know what is happening around you. When you come across clues that hint change is on the way, acknowledge them!
• Stay optimistic: Keep a positive attitude and don’t let yourself drown in uncertainty. Involve yourself in the new process; locate yourself properly in the new scenario. Adjust!
• Maintain open communication channels: Don’t lay back and expect things to pass you by smoothly. You need to get acquainted with the occurring changes. Seek more details from your management and peers to form an accurate understanding of the matter. Be transparent and honest about your fears: dealing with the unknown is often resented and daunting. Make the picture as clear as you can.
• Assess yourself: Change is a time when one’s confidence about one’s skills and capabilities gets shaky. Recognise your strengths and where you could bring them into play. At the same time, stay aware of your developmental areas and work on improving those.

“You can’t get to the top of Everest by jumping up the mountain. You get to the mountaintop by taking incremental steps. Step by step, you get to the goal”, says Robin Sharma, one of the world’s most-sought-after leadership and personal success experts.