HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH CHANGE, DURING TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY?

This year (2020) has brought up drastic changes, which have caused most of us to re-evaluate our personal and professional life circumstances. It is a change that was unplanned and unexpected. A change which may not have given you sufficient time to mentally and physically adjust. As it is change that was brought on by environmental factors it was something beyond our control. Overtime, we all have adjusted mentally in our own ways. Some much better than others.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH CHANGE, DURING TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY? 

MY STORY:  Today, I was reflecting back on a time when I used to work for U.K. Local Government in a Leadership and Management position. Prior to applying for this post as a Quality Management, I had come from a background (Development Management), where I had experienced over 3-4 change management processes. These changes consisted of having to either re-apply and interview for new positions as result to internal restructures. Or it was due to change management process, relating to systems and processes.

Initially, I was fearful of the drastic changes that were occuring as it related to the potential loss of my livelihood. I was also anxious for work colleagues and front line workers, who could potentially lose their jobs as well. In relation to change of systems and processes, what frustrated me most was lack of consistent advance communication, by Senior Management Teams. This was after having invested a significant amount of time, in creating new systems and processes, to only be informed that things were not going forward or had to be changed again.

What I discovered through this process, was how my emotions were caught in circumstance beyond my control. I was too emotionally caught up in change management systems which were not helping my well-being. Change was going to happen despite our efforts. Some of the change was beyond the organisation and nationwide change which needed to occur.

At a certain point, I decided to stop riding emotionally with the emotional roller coaster that comes with change. I decided to focus on what I could control, rather than circumstance beyond my control.

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MY LESSONS LEARNT AS RESULT OF GOING THROUGH THE CAREER CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES: 

These lessons are also applicable to personal and professional life experiences you might be going through, in relation to how you emotionally respond to change and why.

1. TRAIN YOUR MIND TO ADAPT & ACCEPT CHANGE for change is inevitable it is most likely to happen numerous times in your lifetime; this includes planned and unplanned changes. When you start to mentally prepare yourself for change, you emotionally response will become different; you will start to pay more attention to how much you choose to invest your emotional well-being through a change process. 

2. BE OPEN TO CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT; so that you keep up and ahead of the changing times. To also enable you to feel control of your future and destiny. So that you are not controlled and dependent on external circumstances to fully determine your future. ⠀


3. CREATE & MAINTAIN YOUR LIFE VISION PLAN A flexible Personal Life Vision Planner (3-5 year goal planner with daily, weekly, monthly goals). Again this will enable you to feel empowered and in the driving seat of your own destiny. Your Life Vision is something that no one can take away from you. I have also learnt that, through changing times, the one thing that remains constant is your Life Vision, even if it changes, you are able to modify it accordingly through changing times. 


4. YOUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO CHANGE: Ask yourself what is it you FEAR most about change? Note down a list of your fears and deeply reflect on the where your fears stem from. Are they your fears or best on external forces you have become dependant on? 

What would be the worst thing that could happen if you challenged yourself to overcome your fears?  ⠀⠀

5. SET LIFE CHALLENGING & CHANGING GOALS with accountability partners and/or a Mentor to help you in overcoming your fears and self-limiting beliefs. This is where you find your strength which help you persevere through change. ⠀

ASK YOURSELF WHAT IS THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN WITH CHANGE - especially if it’s linked to pursuing your life goals, purpose and passion? Our worst fears are often driven by fear of the unknown. What you haven't explored yet, or taken yourself out of the comfort zone yet. 

Remind yourself that each change that comes is passing moment. It will not control and take over your emotions. ⠀

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO THINK THIS WAY? 

Your well-being (mental and physical) matters the most. You can only serve and offer solutions from a place, where you feel centred and in control internally of your own destiny. There are external factors beyond our circumstance, which are not worth investing all your emotions, especially when the forces are driven by national and global events. What you can control within everything that is changing is you. 

• You have a mission, purpose and life vision that is stronger than changes which will come your way. You will continue to drive forward regardless of unknown factors. 

• Your mind will focus on solutions rather than the problems that are being presented. 

• Never feel like you have no control within a change process. The best thing that you can control and manage through change is you and no one else. It is your emotional response to the changing events that matters most. You get to decide how much to invest in the external factors.

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