Rose Training talks transitioning and change at the workplace. 

Life is full of change!  In fact, I once heard someone say  “If you’re not changing, you’re not breathing”.  Some change is welcome and embraced quickly. For instance, your boss comes to you last thing Thursday afternoon and says you are doing a great job. And to show you appreciation for your great work, they offer you Friday off. No, I’ll come in, you say.  I wasn’t expecting a day off, I’ve had too much change, I can’t cope, I’ll come to work, I love work more than life –  said no one – like, ever!

However, other changes can be forced on us and are not always comfortable. Things like job loss, ill health, decisions made by banks, the government, or Woolworths moving your favourite washing powder to a new location just because they know how much you like it and are messing with your mind!

Change is constant, change is part of life, and change is here to stay.  So, if you can’t always control the change around you and don’t always want to welcome change, how can we stay positive and resilient during such times?  Great question.

In my mind, it’s all about how we transition.  While change is external and often out of our control, transition is our inner response and how we navigate our way through it.   Indeed, transition is actually defined as moving from one state to another.

In the animal kingdom there are lots of transition processes:  shedding of skin, coming out of cocoons, growing of feathers, sitting on nests, birthing of young, the list goes on.  During these transition periods, animals become vulnerable to predators, so they need to be on their guard.  Some animals have great protective mechanisms to disguise themselves, whilst  others pretend they are something that they are not.  There is even a caterpillar that makes itself look like a snake so it won’t become prey!  If you don’t believe me, have a look at this website : //www.cracked.com/article_18746_the-9-most-mind-blowing-disguises-in-animal-kingdom.html.

Anyway, I digress.  The point I am making is that during transition, we too become vulnerable to our “predators”.  Have a think about it – when you are dealing with lots of change, what is happening for you internally?  For me, I have learned that I have to be aware of what I call my “stinking thinking”.  When I have a lot going on, my mind can quickly turn from being my cheer squad to being my accuser very quickly!  If I am not careful, I begin to doubt my abilities and my relationships, and the “stinking thinking” stairwell of doom takes over.

A little dramatic you think?  Maybe so, however it really is important that we navigate change and transition well.

My three top tips of how to stay resilient :

Know your vulnerabilities during times of transition and change and have strategies in place so that you cope better when under the pump.

Control what you can! What I mean by this is that during change, many things can seem out of your control, which can lead to a sense of frustration.  But no matter how out of control things seems, there are many things in your control.  You can eat healthier, exercise, read inspiring books, surround yourself with support and encouraging people, the list goes on.

Thirdly, have an attitude of gratefulness, find three things every day you are grateful for. I hate to point it out, but sometimes when we are discouraged or down, we tend to focus on ourselves. Gratefulness takes the focus off us and helps us appreciate what we have. I am grateful for good health, a wonderful husband and that I finally found the washing powder!

Words by Merisa Holland.

If you want to know more about handling and managing change at your workplace, feel welcome to call us on 3038 3048, or talk to us on LiveChat! While you are at it, ‘like’ us on Facebook, too.