 |
| We often get more change than we'd like. |
Continually
Having
A
New
Growth
Experience
That's C.H.A.N.G.E.
At least that's how one of my fellow acronym-loving friends sees it. She's such an optimist and I love that.
Full disclosure: I don't love change.
Nonetheless, I've studied it extensively and, much like the gym teacher who eats donuts on the sidelines while telling students to run laps, I teach others about it often.
Here's some of what I know about change:
1. We are hard-wired to resist change. Thank you, reptilian brain, for always looking out for danger. We appreciate you. 🦖 🙏
2. We only resist change we didn't choose, don't want, or can't understand. Think about it: You get the promotion you always wanted- BIG CHANGE! Do you resist it? Heck no. All in!
3. We can navigate any change a bit better when we stop and take a good look at it. We fear the unknown. Invite change in, pour some tea, and get to know it. 🫖
Last week I helped leaders from my favorite municipality (you know who you are!) navigate their own resistance to change, as well as empathize with their team members' push-back. Here are the questions I asked them to consider.
- RATE: How fast is the change? Do you (or your team) have time to ramp-up gradually, or is immediate compliance expected?
- DESIRABILITY: Do you and/or your team desire the change? Can you see the positive impact? If so, can you champion that to others who might not see it?
- DEGREE: Is this a big change or a minor one? This matters! Bigger changes (like a new software system) are often more stressful than little ones (like a notice that proclaims food left longer than three days in the company fridge will be thrown out).
- CONTROL: How much control (or input) do you have regarding this change? Were you consulted? Regardless, do you have any autonomy for implementation?
- JUGGLE: Is this a singular change, one of many, or does it affect a series of changes?