How To Manage Change At Work

Let's face it - organisations either accept that change is a good thing or they die!!!

I know that's a little heavy but it is so true.

I must admit that I am amazed and astonished at
the amount of anti-change attitudes that we hear around the country when delivering training - not necessarily associated with the delegates themselves but some of the anti-change stories that we hear from them would make your hair stand up on end!

If it is your job to manage change you do not need me to tell you that it is a tough job.

This leads me nicely into this edition's quick tip!

A trainer of mine was delivering a Change Management Course when a delegate asked the following question:

"How can I sell what change will mean to my team? What can I say to them to make them aware of the opportunities that change will bring?"

We were having a coffee together the other day when my trainer told me of this question that was asked - I thought to myself it was just the ticket for a Quick Tips newsletter!

Here are some selling points of what the individual will miss out on if we do not change as a company:

# 1
"You'll miss out on the potential for career opportunities with the new organization. Your company is looking for forward thinking employees who can embrace change. We all know what happened to Dinosaurs! You have the opportunity to be viewed as
a valuable contributor and one who will have a place in the organization and make a difference"

# 2
"You'll miss out on the chance to learn new skills and
behaviours which will enable you to progress through the ranks a lot quicker - they will even make you more marketable to the outside world. Who would you rather employ? A person who has gone through and experience a lot of forward thinking change or
someone who has stood still for the past 10 years? Get used to feeling a little incompetent and confused for a time in order to learn new skills which will help you in the future"

# 3
"You'll get smarter. There is scientific proof that changing our patterns and ways of doing things creates new neural pathways which make you smarter"

# 4
"You'll miss out on the opportunity to expand your network and your ability to develop new relationships. Keep in mind, it's not what you know but who you know that matters"

# 5
"You'll miss out on the possibility of shaping your destiny and reality. If you get on board quickly with the changes, you may be able to create a need and select employees to help you fill the need. Be purposeful as you explore your options"

# 6
"If you are going to have a whinge, whinge with a purpose! Give constructive criticism and provide specific recommendations for how to make the changes work rather than just having a moaning session about them"

# 7
"Become informed. Learn all you can about the proposed changes.

What do they mean? How will it be carried out? When? Make sure that YOU know all of the facts. Don't find out what is happening through the company grapevine - make sure you have found out yourself"

# 8
"No matter how pro or anti change you are - CHANGE WILL HAPPEN.

So it's best to accept this fact rather than keep on banging your head against a brick wall. Give it a go"

# 9
"Learn to control the controllables. With regards to the change, what can YOU manage? What can YOU control and what things do you have NO CONTROL over whatsoever? List these down and make a plan of action of how you can deal with each. And the uncontrollables?
Well, you have the choice - you can either "Let them go and accept that you can do nothing about them" or you can drive yourself completely nuts and try to drive 200mph with the handbrake on!"

# 10
"Nothing is as EVER as bad as it first seems"

And on that note I will leave you to use these tips to manage your change more effectively!

About The Author-- Sean McPheat is the CEO of MTD Training http://www.management-training-development.com

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