Handling the Reality of Change: Part 1
by Joe Freeman
April 4, 2016
It can take many forms. Whispers circulate among people huddled at tables in the cafeteria. Perhaps a new senior executive has been named and employees get to work trying to gather whatever information they can find about the new boss. Maybe recent internal presentations highlight new strategic business directions. Or, perhaps the word is out about a merger involving the company you have worked for all of your life. Welcome to the unavoidable reality of change.
In this and my next post I’d like to offer a few recommendations based on situations I’ve experienced during my career overseeing change in my field, mail management services. These tips include what I see as key elements that can help you stay prepared for imminent change in your organization.
Be Ready
Perhaps the worst part of sudden change is the shock of experiencing something you didn’t see coming. Many people take jobs to fill practical needs and then fall into set routines. They consistently do the job successfully, but rigid patterns can prevent them from discovering ways to improve the processes they’re managing. I suggest always taking the attitude that what you do can be done better. Never let others, including consultants and colleagues, dictate a different way to do your job because you just stopped exploring new, creative approaches.
Get Along
One way to earn the respect of colleagues is to be the team player; the co-worker who is a “get along with” type of person. Many of us spend more time at work while awake than anywhere else, and our closest allies outside of family will almost always include those we collaborate with daily. This means you have prime opportunities to “rub off” on others your positive work attitudes. For example; back up a co-worker when there is an issue on the job front; encourage co-workers when they perform exceptional tasks; share your successful problem solving techniques with others. These are the actions that help build successful teams.
In my next post I’ll offer three more tips on how to effectively deal with workplace change. In the meantime, feel free to visit the Mail Services page of our website for more information on industry best practices including white papers, case histories and more.