Thursday, May 10, 2012
Julie Klein just posted a new blog titled May I Have Some Change?.
Verb: Make or become different.
Noun: The act or instance of making or becoming different.
My company is on the verge of a few big changes. I don’t yet know what they will be, but they have announced that it will be “game changing.” This is not new for my company. I joined the company when the network marketing arm of the business was only a few months old, and there have been many changes since. So far, all the changes have been to help affiliates earn more money.
What is different from our “normal” changes is that a beloved member of our executive staff has left the company. He left by choice, and for reasons totally unrelated to the company, but he is still gone.
I have been speaking to a few people about the changes, and I have discovered that, as one of the Leaders in the company, managing change means managing people’s fear. Everyone reacts to change – both good and bad – differently. For some, it just “rolls off their back,” while others have what appears to be irrational fear of what is coming.
The perspective from which each individual sees change is what makes the difference between whether the changes simply flow and combine with what we have done before or those that make people fearful. To successfully manage change, from the perspective of the employees, it must be introduced clearly, defining exactly what the changes are and how they will benefit the company.
Fear of the unknown can often cause resistance to change. Everyone must understand how the changes will affect them and the company as a whole. The degree to which people will resist change is determined by whether they expect it to be good or bad and on how the change will impact each person.
As a Leader of a large team, it will be my job to address their resistance and fear and help team members learn and understand the changes to enable them to accept them.
Change in the workplace is not so different from changes in our lives. In the (hopefully) not-too-distant future, I will be moving to another state. Although it is my choice, I am still a bit fearful of what changes may occur before, during and after the move. I’m not a young woman. Will I be able to make new friends? We will be moving from a large home to a smaller one (that we have not yet chosen). How difficult will it be to adjust to less room and far less storage space? I’ll be moving from a home where my nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away to a neighborhood where homes are very close together. Will it feel claustrophobic?
I am excited and looking forward to the changes in my company, and I’ll do whatever I can to calm any anxiety those on my team may have about them. I am also awaiting the change of residence with a positive attitude, laced with just a hint of apprehension. Once adjusted to the changes in my professional and personal life, I am certain I will be better for them.
If you would like information about my company, please contact me through my website.
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