“It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.” – Roy T. Bennett.
Change, we often say, is the only constant. Some changes are perceived as necessary while others are choices we deliberately make. In any case, whether we welcome change or not, each of us will experience some form of it. Our attitude towards it is what helps us be better at who we are and what we do.
There are a few things we can do to help adjust our attitudes to facilitate a not-too-bumpy road to change. An acronym for the word CHANGE may help us remember these points.
Customise
First, customise your experience. An extremely simplified example could be deciding to finish a hot cup of tea or coffee quickly each morning to make it to the early morning office meetings on time, or skipping it altogether and taking it during the meeting. Customising your experience means setting out to do the things that help you make the most of the opportunities available to you. Create, adapt, and follow a schedule that works best for you.
Handle
Handle what you can handle at any given time. What I can handle or contain is very different from what you can take. Why? We are all wired differently – crafted differently for that place in which you are now. Do not compare yourself to others; instead, acknowledge your own capabilities at any given moment. Maximize and leverage these to be the best you can be at any point in time.
Allow
Allow the process of change to run its full course. There are many things we can have instantly in our day, but the process of change cannot be short-circuited. A typical example is grieving the loss of someone we truly loved. Again, we all grieve differently. However, each one goes through the process of grieving so that they can reach the point where healing begins. We manifest the stages in this process differently, and we should be allowed to; otherwise, we will remain in one place or keep going round in circles until it is addressed. It applies to the different facets of life. It may take person A a few days to fit into a new role nicely, but it may take person B a month, two, or even a year. The critical thing to look out for is whether each person is making progress in the right direction.
Negotiate
Change in the workplace may come with likeable and not-so-likeable parts to it. Negotiating where we can to get a team moving in the right direction is always an option to consider. Nothing is cast in stone in the workplace. Staff should be able to speak up and discuss any concerns they might have. Negotiation is a key skill required for almost everyone in almost every role, not just those in sales or marketing. Mastering the skill of negotiation creates an avenue for ownership of the vision and the processes necessary to achieve it.
Graciously accept
Learn to be gracious and accept what needs to be accepted for the sake of team cohesion and the common good of the organisation. Each of us will agree that there have been things we have had to admit, willingly or unwillingly, to move on in life; whether in relation to family or work, we have certainly faced a couple of those situations. One needs to know when to cut their losses and move on. Be gracious as you accept the team’s decision or any other challenge that comes your way.
Enjoy the experience
Change may be a smooth or bumpy ride. It may be pleasant at times and unpleasant sometimes. It may result in the loss of some relationships and the formation of new ones with other people.
“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Just remember to live in the moment and learn as much as you can in the process. Life is in seasons – try not to have regrets when a season comes to an end. Enjoy the process; enjoy the season, and enjoy the experience. You will have lots to share when that season passes.
“Change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.” – Robin Sharma
Freda Evelyn Abah-Dakou
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