Adept to Adapt:A Challenge

Personal lives change as people get older, so do jobs, careers and organizations. However, human beings, by nature, do tend to resent change and resist it strongly. The whole process can be very distressing to employees and negative emotions (or reactions) could stem out of it, this is why it is always advisable to recognize the different stages of change and anticipate its impact in order to take preventive measures. we experience restructuring, downsizing, and “up sizing” just like companies do. Our own little “organizations” grow when we have kids and get smaller when they move out. Perhaps a separation or divorce causes us to go through a restructuring.

Change blows through our lives, sometimes like a breeze, sometimes like wind and sometimes like a storm. You can bow your head to try to buck it, hoping it will blow over. You’re not certain the change in your company or your personal life is for the better. You may even experience stress and personal resistance. The point is you can rarely do anything about the change, so it will best serve you to accept it and move on, and if it’s a change in your company, perhaps even promote it. You might consider focusing on positive opportunities change can bring and look upon adapting to it as a challenge. Encourage others to pull together for a positive result. In doing so, you will have some control over it. Change will never end until you experience that final life-ending change, and even then, life will go on without us.

Of course, not all change is bad. It can be wonderfully pleasant as well. A short-term stock investment could skyrocket in value due to a buy-out announcement. Modern medicine could save the life of a loved one.

Finally, be patient with yourself and others. Adapting to change does not occur overnight let alone in an eight-hour workday. Keep a positive attitude and focus on the benefits and new opportunities change can bring. Just be sure to expect a few bumps in the road along the way. When you experience stages of resistance and uncertainty but are then able to assimilate change and finally conquer it, you will experience an enormous sense of accomplishment, and your self-esteem will be increased.

I guess we should all be envious of the chameleon. To it, change comes naturally. It needs neither training nor job aids to help it shift from brown to green and back again. We humans, on the other hand, need a little more support and guidance to make it through those uncertain times in our lives-whether it’s a change in careers, a change in our personal lives, a change in how we are to perform our jobs, a change in job positions, or a change in strategies. Whether you are responsible for changing only yourself or helping an entire organization through a major change, the good news is it will occur one day at a time.In short, we can either be victims or we can prosper. The choice is ours

Ms.Sunita Jain

Director

HelloKids

Bangalore