How To Manage Change At Work

Perpetual change is the one constant in the business landscape. Revolutionary scientific discoveries, breakthrough technologies, updated regulations, new leadership, shifting job roles, and relocation are just a few examples of major change in the professional world. The fact is, change is inevitable and necessary. Yet many employees aren’t prepared to embrace change.

Why is change so difficult? One reason has to do with our brains. The human brain is wired to scout for all that’s bad. How else would we identify a threat or discomfort? Yet Neuropsychologist Rick Hanson says the brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. That means we have a lot of negative associations to choose from when trying to assess a new situation, or “change”. Plus, we all suffer from what is called negativity bias, when the brain reacts more intensely to bad news, compared to good news.

Knowing that people can react poorly to change, leaders need to be very adept at change management.

But what exactly is change management? It has three parts:

1. any approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations
2. using methods intended to re-direct the use of resources, business process, budget allocations, or other modes of operation
3. that significantly reshape a company or organization

Freddi Donner, executive coach and founder of Business Stamina, developed a valuable tool for managing any type of change in an organization. It is based on the word CHOICE, making its principals easy to remember.

C hoice

H elp Others

A ccept

N ew Normal

G row

E mbrace Feedback

Let’s go through each letter in more detail.

C | Make the CHOICE to Participate in a Positive Way

Since our brain is Velcro to negative experiences, we will gravitate toward negative perspectives if left to our own devices. This is true for the team, and true for leadership, since they set the tone for the transition.

But how do you actually make the choice to be positive rather than negative? Is it a mind trick? Not necessarily. Here are six quick tips to help you participate in change in a positive way:

Tips For Participating Positively in Change

1. Look for or call a role model and observe how they react to change. They may be able to provide the blueprint for you to follow as you navigate new terrain.
2. Visualize yourself facing the change successfully without stress. Research shows that visualizing a particular situation can create the same effects behaviorally and psychologically as actually experiencing the situation.
3. Use music. The first-large scale review of 400 research papers in the neurochemistry of music found that music can improve the function of the body’s immune system and reduce levels of stress.
4. Laughter is the best medicine. Really! Laughing releases endorphins, the natural feel-good chemicals in our brains. It can even temporarily relieve pain.
5. Let it out. If you’re anxious about change, or even feeling angry about the transition, tell a co-worker or manager that you trust. Sometimes things are much worse in our own minds (negativity bias); speaking your fears out loud gives us a more accurate perspective on the situation.

H | HELP Others. It Gets You Into a Positive Frame of Mind

Despite your own trepidations, help others with different outlooks than your own. Identify an issue that is real, current and changing in your department, with your client, or in work groups you belong to. Ask yourself how you will help others with this change. Here are some tips to get you started:

Tips Helping Others Face Change To Get You Into a Positive Frame of Mind

1. Lead change rather than fight it. As champion of the change, encourage others to become authors of the change as well. For example, if a change in software is happening, proactively start discussion groups with coworkers about what to expect and how to best face the process.
2. Bring others into the conversation and allow them to contribute to the design of the change. This motivates everyone to say yes and move forward.
3. Point out the upside to change around co-workers. This will help both you and your co-workers get into a more positive frame of mind.

A |  ACCEPT That This Change Is In Everyone’s Best Interest, Even If You Don’t Agree

Sometimes the wave of change is headed your way full force whether you’re ready or not. You can either let the wave crash against you, knock you down and pull you under, or you can face the same direction the wave is headed and catch a ride to shore. Make the decision to ride the wave (accept the change) and plan to make it to shore gracefully (plan on success).

When there is a change of environment, people experience a lack of control, which can be very unsettling. To make things easier, don’t resist; open your mind to acceptance. Here are some tips for accepting change, even when you feel uneasy.

Tips For Accepting Change

1. Remind your team that change is made with lots of thought, even if they weren’t involved in the process.
2. Stay internally calm and positive. There is nothing your anxiety and negativity can do to prevent the change from happening, so you might as well avoid the stress.
3. Let go of any bad feelings you have about the situation and you will be more open to a smooth transition. Encourage others to do the same.

N |  NEW NORMAL Needs Communication

Facing a new normal requires a lot of communication. Go beyond words when communicating—use graphs, diagrams, and before and after pictures.

The most important part of communicating is truly listening. Listen to what is being said and what is not being said, in order to uncover the fears others are experiencing but cannot express. You can do this by watching body language and asking open ended questions. Here are more tips about communicating the new normal.

Tips for using communication to adjust the team to the new normal

1. Start a conversation with two or three people at your organization about changes that are occurring.
2. Use open ended questions (who, what, when, where, how) to uncover resistance or acceptance.
3. Share your positive point of view.
4. Observe the different perspectives (both positive and negative).

G | GROWTH Is Important When Managing Change

Change provides an opportunity for your team to grow. Yet with growth comes friction, awkwardness, discomfort, and uncertainty to those around you. Remember that you are part of the story and can influence those around you by modeling what change looks like in a positive light. Here are some tips for promoting growth during change.

Tips For Promoting Growth During Times of Change

1. Work on improving your emotional intelligence (EQ).
2. Maintain a strong and calm leadership presence with breathing and grounding techniques.
3. Find commonalities in the group and leverage them to develop trust in your team.

E | EMBRACE Feedback So That You Know How To Stay In The Game

When it comes to managing change, not everything will go right the first time. That’s why feedback is so important. Truly listen to feedback so you can course correct along the way. It is the cheapest and easiest way to learn and grow!

But what if you don’t agree with another person’s point of view? Don’t dismiss it. Instead, find ways to “try it on”. For example, ask yourself, “What if this were true and I am just not seeing it?” This helps develop flexibility in your perspective and helps you become a wiser leader. Here are four tips for receiving feedback.

Tips For Receiving Feedback

1. Manage your emotions; listen objectively to make sure you fully understand.
2. Calmly evaluate and comment if the feedback is valid and can help you improve.
3. Listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time.
4. Don’t tune out and start “your own conversation”; you may miss some important points.

Do you feel ready to ride that wave of change? It may not be smooth sailing, but you’ll end up in a better place. Remember to choose to be positive, help others face the change, accept the changes that are happening, understand the new normal, see change as a growth opportunity for all and embrace the gift of feedback.

Have you faced major change in your organization? What was the most challenging part? We can all learn from each other. Let me know in the comment section below, send me an email or find me on Twitter.