The “survive or thrive” checklist

1. Have you given yourself time to think and analyze the new situation (reality) thoroughly calmly and properly?

2. Are you able to ensure you can avoid misinterpretations and have you, through questioning effectively, gathered enough information on how things will be to make a rational decision on what the change will mean to you?

3. Have you looked for the opportunities a changed state will bring you rather than being driven by the fear of negative results being imposed upon you?

4. Have you inserted yourself in the change process so you are able to influence the outcomes that are important to you? (As opposed to becoming a negative, head in the sand naysayer.)

5 Based on what you have understood of your changed reality have you researched what shills you will need to develop to thrive in a new environment?

6. Are you focussing on the long-term or just frazzled by the moment and are you actively planning to ensure your future well being?

7. Are you able to match your values with the new situation if knot have you developed and exit strategy?

8. Have you gathered around you a positive group to ensure you can maintain emotionally supportive relationships during what is a natural period of stress?

Change is the only constant… who said that? Best of luck if you are going through a period of change, try to mange the process well.

Seeing life as a continuous learning experience plus being prepared to change our attitude and to let go of our proven ‘norms’ will not only help us overcome our fear, it will prepare us to deal with a new reality. Example; how many people for years worried about the cold war. Some became so paranoid they dug shelters and stocked them with supplies. Is the world full of holes stuffed with stale or rotting food? The one key to winning during change is to learn how the process is being implemented and to seek new competencies (through training) that you will need to operate in the new environment.

Tip: One great way to become more rational, less fearful and reduce our level of stress and worry during change is to sit and try to think of what we were worried about this time last year. Can’t remember? Most of us can’t. Remember (and believe), this time next year today’s woes will fade also.

In line with the need to see life as a continuos learning experience we should be prepared to fail and then analyse our failures to see how we can do things better the next time. If we are not prepared to fail we will be unable to make decisions and ‘a bad decision is better than no decision at all’. Just imagine if the first time we tried to stand up and because we failed we couldn’t decide whether to try again or not. Think about crawling to work for the rest of your life. How many times do sporting greats fail before they break a world record? Every failed putt, throw of the ball or toss of the javelin leads to a bank of knowledge that improves our performance. You really only fail if you don’t learn from the experience.

Hang on… what about hang gliding? Breaking the change process into smaller digestible pieces is the same principle as learning anything new. The old adage that people learn by ‘littles’ is a truism that can help. If we are going to accept change and overcome our fear we need to jump from small ledges before attempt large cliffs. If we break the change process into its smallest pieces our nervousness will be reduced. It also stands to reason that if we can see where we are going we are more confident than if we are leaping into the dark.

“ONLY I CAN CHANGE MY LIFE. NO ONE CAN DO IT FOR ME” – Carol Burnett

Change – Looking Ahead and Getting Others Involved

If we implement a change process we need to shine a light on the future. The best way is through a plan based on the various scenarios we have regarding the future. We must then effectively communicate a sound vision, develop the plan and succinctly explain the role of each of the stakeholders. This means we have to understand and advise every individual of their role in where they and we are heading. In my experience the only real question ever asked when a meeting on change is held is “WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME”. This question is often disguised as some technical enquiry regarding future operational difficulties… however it is the only question that is on the minds of those involved in change. If we don’t give or get a satisfactory and personal answer to their or our concerns fear levels (and resistance) increase enormously.

A close relative of mine was working for an advertising company that was being taken over, (the Big Change) and I offer the following story for your consideration. At the end of the process he ended up with a better job in the “merged” organization. As the company I was working for at the time was also being taken over I asked his advice. This is what he said, ‘fear of not knowing what is going on leads to resistance so you must be involved in the change process to the point of being seen as an active participant, particularly when critical decisions are made. Don’t avoid your responsibilities, volunteer and devote time to engineering the new situation… help the process don’t hinder it. Don’t hold a false and fruitless loyalty to the way things were. Listen to everything and ask for explanations. Avoid only hearing what your pre-conceived ideas are telling you about what may be happening and constantly seek to understand. Stay open and honest and speak the truth and… the hardest of all… control what you can however let go of that which you cannot’, or as another colleague of mine once put it, “don’t waste your energy fighting battles you can’t win”. It worked well for me!

If the outcomes of inevitable change aren’t the best possible for us, at least we should see what you could learn from the evolving situation. Buy the way I took his advice and ended up with an operation twice the size of that in my pre-takeover company and a much better salary and benefits package to boot.

“THE UNIVERSE IS CHANGE; OUR LIFE IS WHAT OUR THOUGHTS MAKE IT”. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121 AD – 180 AD), Meditations

Refs:
Overcoming People’s Fear of Change – Douglas Howardell, http://www.theacagroup.com/overcome.htm
Change Happens, by Joe Flower, http://www.well.com/user/bbear/change1.html
Choosing Strategies for Change, By John P. Kotter and Leonard A. Schlesinger
Harvard Business Review March/April 1979
Organizational Behaviour Stephen P Robbins, Prentice Hall International Editions (seventh edition Part 5)
Change Happens, by Joe Flower, http://www.well.com/user/bbear/change1.html

2. Equally important is to understand that “NOW” is the only time we ever really have and therefore we must live in the present rather than relishing the past and regretting what has gone. Sure you need a sound vision of the future however the “now” is all you have. Combined with this we must come to the realization that worrying about the future is useless. Worrying can stifle our spirit and destroy any real chance of living up to our potential. It is best to remember we can always do a little better each day. One small idea with coping with your worries is to try to remember what where you worried about on the same day last year? Most of us can’t, so work through your troubles and they too are likely to be consigned over time to a forgotten history.

3. Change needs to be seen, if you approach it as inevitable, as an opportunity to satisfy the priorities and desires we have set. Now often changes are thrust upon us and one thing we must do is insert ourselves in the change process so we can influence to the outcome. The best way to do this is to commit ourselves productively to others in the process who are trying to solve problems or by who are forced by a change in circumstances to attempt to capitalize on new opportunities. This forced change is of course what happens in organizations that are responding to an ever changing and fickle marketplace.

4. Don’t become part of the resistance group, you can tell them easily, they will be the ones that will be crying “but we’ve always done it this way”. These people will drag you down with their “misery loves company” attitude and you will just become another victim… which you must refuse to be. Please realize that becoming a ‘victim of circumstances’ is vastly overrated, as there is always a choice. We all choose the variables that make up our life. At worst if there is change occurring at our workplace if we don’t like it or can’t support it we can choose to leave. If you accept that you always have a choice and you will truly be empowered. If you can’t accept empowerment best find a way to leave the planet.

YOU MAY NOT HAVE A CHOICE ABOUT THE CHANGES OCCURRING AROUND YOU HOWEVER YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE ON HOW YOU RESPOND! Want to make a radical change and change your job? This may help: sample resume!

5. Learn to be adaptable… even in nature we constantly see examples of how specialist species, particularly those relying on symbiotic relationships disappear, don’t be over-reliant on a few others around you or on too few skills or you will go the way of many such species. Lets face it nature constantly demonstrates best that those that have the greatest capability to survive, or better still thrive, are those that are most adaptable. To accomplish a better result in a changing future we need to seek out new experiences, a broader range of skills and to continuously re-educate ourselves. As some others put it we must become “life long learners” as in the future those with broadly based knowledge and experience will be in demand. Can I suggest the days of just being the best single discipline ‘technician’ (engineer) are long gone.

6. To cope, or again better still thrive in changing times, we all need to live by the doctrine that “the responsibility for me is mine alone” and if we can do that we will begin to take the lead in our own life and perhaps come out on top in whatever the future becomes. Leading the change process, now that’s a great place to be.

Once change is accepted as a constant and as its consequences effect us personally it is vital that we seek to understand the (revised) vision of the future that the forces of change are moving towards. Companies that we work for may have change thrust upon them and will adjust how they operate to met a perceived need or desired future state. For the individual we must understand what that future will look like and then align ourselves to the vision or we will be left behind and ultimately ejected from the process and the final outcome.

Understand that worrying about the future is useless. If you don’t believe me… what where you worried about on the same day last year? Accepting the principle (or reality) that NOW IS THE ONLY TIME WE REALLY HAVE and that we must live in the present whilst looking to the future, rather than sitting around relishing the past a is key to our survival.

Realize that the best way to cope with change is as I said to approach it as inevitable and use it as an opportunity to satisfy the priorities and desires we have set. Sure this takes some effort and creative thinking however you can usually find opportunities in new ways of doing things if you are prepared to work at it.

If your company is merging or restructuring insert yourself in the change process so you can influence to the outcome.

Commit yourself productively to others who are trying to solve problems or capitalise on new opportunities. Get on board with the movers and shakers in your organization and let them know you want to be involved.

Learn to adapt… even the most basic observation of nature demonstrates that those that have the greatest capability to survive are those that are most adaptable.

Develop a greater range of competences. The days of just being the best ‘technician’ (engineer) are long gone. Even if you do have an engineering degree limiting yourself to one discipline is dangerous due to the rapid change in technologies and the ever changing priorities of society and business.

Think about the broader issues and needs of the role you fulfill. During a restructure would you choose for example the accountant with problem solving and team building skills or just the ‘best’ at accounting?

Seek new experiences, new skills, and continuos education; broadly based knowledge and experience is always in demand. Understand that the responsibility for me is mine alone; take the lead in your own life.

The more we involve ourself in the change process and succeed the better we understand that we can survive change. The payoff is increased confidence.

Accept the thought that… TO SOME PEOPLE LIFE IS ABOUT FINDING ANSWERS, IN TIMES OF CHANGE PERHAPS LIFE NEEDS TO BE MORE ABOUT FINDING AND DEALING WITH MORE INTERESTING QUESTIONS.

Do not become part of the “but we’ve always done it this way” group or you will become just another victim, which you must refuse to be. Avoid the ‘grumble about the good old days group’ at all costs.

Realize that becoming a ‘victim of circumstances’ is vastly overrated, as there is always a positive alternative. We all choose the variables that make up our life. No many say no I have no way out of my circumstances, well at times it may not be easy however we all have a choice to stay in the game we’re in or change to a different team, location or even a different career path altogether.

Remember that the most important choice we have is whether we develop a positive (or negative) attitude toward life’s realities.

As I alluded to above… if we don’t like or can’t support the changes at our workplace we can leave, as painful as that my be. If you choose this option do it with grace and integrity as those in your past may come around as influences in your future. Happened to me twice.

Believe that all and every company and/or our position in a company is constantly changing and that it is a natural state of affairs, or as one career advice organization puts it: “all jobs are temporary”.

Honestly accept that you always have other possibilities, if you can do this and make it a lifelong attitude… you will truly be empowered. If you can’t accept empowerment and personal responsibly for “outcomes”, best find a way to leave the planet.

Often success during change can simply be a realization that… YOU MAY NOT HAVE A CHOICE ABOUT WORKPLACE CHANGES HOWEVER YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE ON HOW YOU RESPOND!

Finally, study the industry you work in, look for trends, look to educate yourself in the areas that are developing, read your industry journals and take a general interest in business and the discussions of the likely future state of specifically your company, generally your industry and broadly of business overall. Everyday needs a little time invested in preparing for our future.

Thinking of making a dramatic change and leaving your current employer? The resume form link will help if you are looking for “greener pastures”.

If my memory serves me well Malthusian Law went something like this:

‘The world will never be overpopulated as population growth is limited by war, pestilence, famine and natural disasters.’

From a personal or individual perspective this means that if you are to survive you need to protect yourself from all these natural forces by astutely being somewhere where these occurrences are not likely to happen.

Now for many this is not possible, however if you are by chance lucky enough to have some control over your existence you should consider these factors carefully.

From a work-life point of view lets see what you can do to give yourself the best chance of surviving or even thriving.

WAR: Often times in your career you will come across a war at work. Interdepartmental rivalries, battles for limited resources, personality clashes and straightforward power struggles. It is human nature for us in conflict situations to seek allies or to be sought out as supporters for one side of an argument or another. Can I suggest if you are put in a situation where you are being recruited on a position, where others are in conflict, at all costs stay out of the fray and remain neutral. Keep away from the combatants and focus on your own job role and performance.

PESTILENCE: The major disease I have witnessed in organizations is that of “poor cultural attitudes”. Every organization has cultural norms that have grown over time based on the personalities within the company and or the legacy that others have left. Often the cultural norms of a company can limit or even destroy its competitiveness in ever changing markets. Our fear of change, reliance on how things have been done in the past, power groups with vested interests in maintaining the status quo and being blinded victims of our own past successes can all create very sick organizations. If you find yourself in a company that is maintaining traditions that are out of step with current market realities don’t hang around, go out and find a more healthy place to work.

FAMINE: Old style companies, working in ever shrinking markets, trying to survive on outmoded products or services will over time starve to death and if you stay on working for one of them you may well suffer the same fate. I have had personal experience with this when in Australia the government deregulated the banking industry and finance companies as a result were starved of funds and business opportunities. I hung on for a few years however those that updated their skill set and changed industries early did best over the years that ensued. There are virtually no ‘real’ finance companies left in Australia today. Much of America’s traditional manufacturing is of course suffering, or has already suffered, the same fate.

*Link for direct page viewers return to main career success blog to check out other posts!

By the way if any of the Malthusian issues are currently impacting on your career you may like to take a look at the free blank resume form and take the law into your own hands by using the document to move on to less dangerous places of existence!

Finally…

NATURAL DISASTERS: Perhaps one of the greatest natural disasters that can befall  most of us from a work perspective is a takeover or merger. In this type of scenario there will be all sorts of misinformation, false promises and spin floating around and you will have two choices, stay and be part of the rescue process to rebuild the new radically changed organization or head out on the first evacuation flight you can get. In the merger I was involved in I chose the former however after two years, even though I had a more senior and better paid position, I didn’t like the culture and business practices of the new organization and resigned. Some of my former colleagues from day one of the merger process resisted the change and were offered a handsome golden handshake. In retrospect I should have taken the same approach. Now you might find this to be counter intuitive however when you are part of a takeover/merger you should consider your future and your options very carefully and remember no matter how smart you are no one is indispensable. I guess if you can maneuver yourself into a position of getting enough money to live and study enough to gain new and more sought after skills in a new company, or perhaps even different career, you may well be better off over time.

Adapt… even in nature (Galapagos Finches) demonstrate that those that have the greatest capability to survive are those that are most adaptable.

Develop a broader range of competence. The days of just being the best ‘technician’ (engineer) are long gone.

Think… during a restructure would you choose the accountant with problem solving and team building skills or the ‘best’ at accounting?

Seek new experiences, new skills, and continuous education; broadly based knowledge and experience is always in demand.

Understand that the responsibility for me is mine alone; take the lead in your own life.

The more we involve our self in the change process and succeed the better we understand that we can survive change. The payoff… increased confidence

TO SOME PEOPLE LIFE IS ABOUT FINDING ANSWERS, IN TIMES OF CHANGE PERHAPS LIFE NEEDS TO BE MORE ABOUT FINDING MORE INTERESTING QUESTIONS.

Six keys to winning during change.

Acknowledge that things continually change. Simple and obvious however many will delude themselves into believing life is stable, secure and constant. (Maybe not so much anymore!)

Accept that now is the only time you ever really have and live in the present rather than sitting around relishing the past.

Understand that worrying about the future is useless. If you don’t believe me… what where you worried about on the same day last year?

Realize that the best way to cope with change is to approach it as inevitable and use it as an opportunity to satisfy the priorities and desires we have set and pro-actively seek out opportunities to do so.

Insert yourself in the change process so you can influence to the outcome, don’t wait find out what is going on and get involved.

Commit yourself productively to others who are trying to solve problems or capitalise on new opportunities, associate yourself with those leading the new direction and find a way to help.

“MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES” (ACTUALY NOT REALLY AN OLD CHINESE CURSE)

…and do your resume just in case… resume form