THRIVE DON'T JUST SURVIVE

STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU THRIVE

Change is a difficult process for most people. Did you know that according to the Executive Conference Board, 80% of organizations report a significant collapse in morale during substantive change? (Conference-board.org. 2022) So what exactly does that mean? Well we as humans need to feel secure and when we feel unknown and out of control during change, our initial reaction is resistance. To be better prepared for changes coming your way here are 5 tips to help you not only survive but THRIVE during those changes:

1. Accept that Change is Hard and will NOT Happen Overnight - Once changes are set in place, know that it will take time to adjust. Give yourself some grace as you adjust and know you will make mistakes and quite possibly have a less productive workday than normal. As you go thru your day adapting to these changes ask yourself what you need from your leaders, coworkers, etc., to help you move forward and work through these changes and still have success.

2. Find out WHY the Change - Ask all the questions: the who, what, where, when and why!! You are part of implementing these changes and have a right to know all the details. Reaching out to your manager or HR is the best place to get all the information, not the gossip talk at the coffee machine.

3. Don't Play the Victim -Make a commitment to embrace change, rather than fighting it and playing the victim. If we aren't changing we are not growing. Be optimistic and look for opportunities to make a positive impact that results from the new changes. This will help you stand out and set an example for others to follow as well as help them succeed.

4. Have the New Beginnings Mindset - It’s normal to feel uneasy at first; but its important that you adapt and embrace the change eventually. Flip your mindset. View the change as a new opportunity to be able to brainstorm and collaborate with your team and leaders more. Ask more questions. Look for the positives in the change. They could be exactly what you NEEDED!

5. Focus on what you can Control - As employees we do not have any say in the decision to implement change. That is out of our control. We CAN focus on how we react to the change. We have to take charge of our thoughts and actions.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING

Your attitude is not something that happens to you. YOU choose your attitude. Attitude has a direct impact on how you talk and engage with those around you. It impacts how you are at your work and your accomplishments in everyday tasks in both your personal and professional responsibilities. Your attitude has an overall impact on your happiness and success. In the previous post we talked about having control over things you can change and your attitude is one of them. You have control over your attitude in the way you look at life, how you respond to things, events, people, situations and even yourself.

E + R = O

Event + Response = Outcome

A year ago my manager, James presented me with this equation - he saw me struggling, even from afar - my attitude had plummeted and I didn't know how to get out of that mindset. He said "If you don't like the results you are currently getting in life and work, change your Response to the Event until you get the Outcome that sets your soul on fire!"

So for everyone who is struggling with the "event" (change) going on and you have an attitude of resistance and or denial, maybe try flipping your response to how you are handling the event and it might just be the outcome you are looking for!

HOW I FLIPPED MY ATTITUDE AND THRIVED INSTEAD OF JUST SURVIVING

Change is a funny thing; and Ill be honest, I'm not the best at accepting it! Yep, I am human and fight it at all costs. About two years ago my life flipped upside down. The pandemic changed me from in the office to working from home. I had a one year old daughter, Khloe, who would now be home with me as her daycare was also shut down. My full time employment scaled back to twenty-five hours a week instead of forty (Thank God for excess PTO I had saved up!), I had just started back to school fulltime to finish my degree (twenty years later LOL), I had just gotten out of a "not so good relationship" and to top it all off my work partner of six years decided it was time to move on. I would be handling the account, training a new partner, and figuring out how to navigate all this change as a single mom.

Ill be honest, the change rocked my world! I went through all the stages like mourning: denial, resistance to change, exploring the new change and finally where I am now with commitment and acceptance to the change. It takes time. The groove you once had is there no longer and takes time to get you bearings back, but it is possible! As you can see it took TWO+ years to get where I am today; but not without highs and lows. What I can tell you is that it was with the help of my army: bosses, coworkers, teachers, family, friends and my daughter. They are the real MVP's for helping me navigate all these changes and helped me THRIVE! Now, I am graduating with my BS at the end of July. I have transitioned into Learning and Development for my company. They saw how I took the change, embraced it, and developed a system that worked for me and my new partner. My daughter is now THREE and about to start Preschool (slow down time!). We are LIVING and LOVING life! So for all of you that are sitting in an uneasy place with the change happening around you, take a deep breath, look at the big picture, ask all the questions, and just GO FOR IT! It might not be easy but it will be WORTH IT!

Conference-board.org. 2022. [online] Available at: <https://www.conference-board.org/pdf_free/councils/580105.pdf> [Accessed 14 July 2022].