Change Management – How we react to change
CHANGE. Often a word that brings out different reactions in people.
The world is changing. Rapidly. People, technology, financial markets. Nothing is constant. Except God!
Change can bring about stress and various reactions in people. Nowadays there are lots of seminars and workshops on how to manage change.
Managing change is important in order to alleviate any tensions and possible ill health like depression, anxiety or other stress related illnesses.
Common ways we react to change
##1 Some embrace change as positive
Not many welcome change with open hands and open hearts. If most of us our honest, sometimes our first reaction to change is anything but positive. However, sometimes there are changes we ourselves initiate. Example, moving home. The primary reason may be an upgrade but in so doing we also convince ourselves of other benefits such as an opportunity to make new friends, go into new ventures, start afresh.
##2 Some look at change with dread
For others, on the other hand, moving away from familiar surroundings is looked upon with dread, even in situations where they may not have even been happy where they were. Better to stay with the known, than the unknown. They’d rather stay with the devil they know than the angel they don’t know. No, no, no. Never stay with any devil!
##3 Some desire to stay in their comfort zone even though it is uncomfortable
Change often takes people out of their comfort zone. But coming out of the comfort zone takes some discomfort.
The children of Israel, even though they had been slaves for over 400 years had got used to their predicament (The story of their departure from Egypt is found in Exodus and Numbers). Even though they had to endure hard labor, the garlic and onions, in their concrete minds, far compensated for the cracks of whips on their backs and hard sweat than the promise of a better life.
##4 Resist Change
In the Bible, when the Israelites in our story above heard they were moving they suggested that spies go check out the land. 12 respectable men of the society were chosen to go search out and bring back a report. 10 saw all the impossibilities while 2 decided to focus on the positives. The Israelites put up a resistance. They were determined to take up the word of the majority and were not prepared to change their mind. They resisted the mere plan of moving with every fiber of their being
##5 Do nothing
Sometimes we can sweep thing under the carpet and pretend like nothing is happening. Wishful thinking in believing that perhaps if we don’t think about it or ignore it, the change will not happen. These people deny that the change is real. They try to make change irrelevant. We simply cannot pretend change is not happening when it is.
I once knew a friend who was not interested in mobile phones. Refusing to be an owner of one did not make mobile phones go away. In fact, it pretty much became a situation that no one was calling her because it was expensive calling from a mobile to a land line. Ignoring the change merely brought inconvenience in the end.
##6 Become angry
Whether we are angry or not is not going to change things; in fact, anger may make our response to change even harder. Your company is laying off staff. Your department is hit and your name is on the list. Anger is not going to get management of your company to change their mind. Violence will land you in regrettable punishment. Anger only immobilises you.
##7 Have a pity party
Having a pity party is one of the worst places to be when change is coming. Your friends may after a while do a stage exit left! Change is not the time to send out invites for the commiseration party. Unless friends are coming up with plans to decision on what you can take or telling you to pull yourself together, they really will not be helping you. Don’t fall out with these kinds of friends. You don’t want sympathy. If anything at all, compassion, but not for long!
Have you found it difficult to deal with change? How do you react to change? Share with us on Twitter or comment below. Thank you.
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