If Change is So Good, Why am I Not Having Fun?

Perhaps it's because I've entered a time in my life when change is constant, or perhaps it's because I've finally realized that change is THE constant in my life; whatever the reason or reality, I find myself talking about change a lot lately.

Thomas Hardy once said, "Time changes everything, except something within us that is always surprised by change."  Well, isn't that true.  We know that nothing stays the same.  We will even admit that the thought of everything in our lives remaining exactly the same as it is in this moment, is frightening.  Even so, change continually surprises us.

I think the answer to the question posed in the heading of this article--If change is so good, why am I not having fun?--is amazingly simple. Change is not fun--to the majority of us--because it catches us by surprise.  Change continually surprises us.

More than anything else we are surprised by the sense of loss we feel when something changes.  Bridges (see book recommendation at right) says the single biggest reason organizational change fails, is that no one has thought about the endings (and sense of loss that accompanies them) or their impact on people.  My experiences working with organizations confirms this statement.

When we make decisions "at the top," we give ourselves time to talk about and deal with most of the losses we can imagine.  By the time we roll the change out to everyone else, we have already moved on...we often forget that our staff is hearing about this for the first time.  We've surprised them.  Yet, somehow, we expect them to jump on our band wagon and move on...without dealing with their own losses.

Here are a few tips for helping people deal with the loss that accompanies organizational change from Bridges:

• Acknowledge the losses openly
• Expect overreaction 
• Provide information--much & often
• Treat the past with respect

Are Difficult People Increasing in Numbers?

This question arises a lot.  The simple answer is, 'no.'  The not-so-simple explanation of why it seems like we are getting more people and situations that are difficult to handle will require organizations to take a long hard look at themselves.

People--inside and outside of our organizations--are dealing with changes at an alarming rate.  Some experts have said that we make more decisions in a day, than our ancestors did in a year.  People are bombarded by change and the decision-making that accompanies it.

Reactions of people (our customers) to change, while normal, have increased in frequency.  Combine then, the changes happening in your organization and in the lives of the people within your organization and we have the potential for chaos.

Understanding change and how to communicate with people--internally and externally--is essential.  If you find yourself or your staff having an increasingly difficult time with difficult people--start with a long, hard self-evaluation.  Sometimes the reasons people are being difficult is right in front of us.

Managing Transitions by  William Bridges.

"It's not the changes that due you in, it's the transitions."  That is the premise behind this practical (if a bit heady) guide to organizational change.

Three phases of transition are chronicled by Bridges, who has written on transitions in organizations as well as in personal life.  The phases are 1) Ending; 2) Neutral Zone; and 3) New Beginning.  Each phase has unique challenges for organizations and must be managed effectively for change to be efficient.

Bridges provides case studies, check lists, and extra information in several appendices that guide and encourage readers.

While this book is not new (1991); if you missed it, this is a good time to give it a look.

CONNECT & GROW is an interactive newsletter for business professionals who believe in commitment and passion in their professional and personal lives.

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The focus of CONNECT & GROW is to provide brief insights into the world of interpersonal business communication.  It is edited by Gail Johnson, founder of Face to Face Communications and Training.  For more information, a complementary consultation, or initial training assessment email  Gail   or visit our website

 

You're Kidding, Right?

Recently, a man approached me after a keynote address on change in the workplace.  He said he had a question about providing information to his staff regarding a major change they were planning. 

He said he preferred to "leak" a little erroneous information to a few key people (gossips--my word, not his) in hopes that what his staff thought was going to change would be much worse than the actual planned change and therefore lessen the impact.  He wanted to know what I thought of that tactic.

Okay, how do I tactfully say, "you're kidding, right?"  You don't and I didn't.  I said it, right out loud.  He replied, very seriously, "No, it's amazing how if people think something awful is going to happen and then they realize what is really happening is just a little bad, they are almost grateful."

Still stunned, I simply replied; "that tact will not build an atmosphere of mutual trust that is needed when major changes are implemented.  It is simply a manipulative tactic that your staff will begin to see through."  He sort of harrumphed, thanked me, and left.

Has something happened to you that you "just can't believe?"   Send it to me and I'll try to include it in a later edition of this newsletter.