There is one certainty for every organization, regardless of type, size or industry. And that one thing is change. We are living at a time when there is tremendous amount of change happening at such a rapid pace. Change management was once thought of as something an organization did before it settled into a new way of operating for the next ten years. Not anymore. These days change management practices are rapidly becoming the norm for most organizations in the way they operate and manage their affairs.
I once worked with a client undergoing a change management process. I was helping them create, train and coach their teams on new skills that would enable them to thrive during change. What I started to witness was the evolution of two types of people. The first type viewed change as “dramatic”, with lots of uncertainty. The other type saw change as painful. The first group would tell themselves stories in their heads, over and over again, which caused disengagement and low levels of productivity. The members of the second group felt the pain of change; however, they became more focused and determined in the work they performed. This second group apparently had some insights on how to perform well in times of change. Here are some of those insights.
Remain focused on what’s in your control
Very often we spend a lot of time and energy focusing on what’s outside our control. This ends up having a negative impact on workplace performance. High-level performers always look for things that are in their control and focus their energy on taking positive actions within that area. Most of the time the action is not grand, just very focused. They will map out what they have control over, start to see where they can take action within the change management process, and start to discover new opportunities during the process. Any organization that has gone through significant change and come out in a better position is composed of teams of people who have mastered this skill.
Expect discomfort
People who thrive during a change management process anticipate discomfort. It could be minor, major or ongoing discomfort — it just doesn’t matter to them. It’s similar for high-performance athletes: they know they have to undergo a certain amount of pain and discomfort to get where they want to go. They are proactive enough to prepare physically and mentally to look after themselves and to be able to handle the discomfort. They also know it’s part of the process and can’t be avoided. Ask anyone who has been through extremely challenging times — they will tell you that once they went through it, they have become better because of it.
All the best in achieving your highest performance.
Paul
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net