Felix Whitepaper Change July2011

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Changing Your Outlook on Change.Successful strategies on how to cope with the

challenges of workplace change.

Today’s economic reality is making change in the business world more

prevalent than ever. Companies are regularly undergoing reorganization,

mergers, downsizing, even joint ventures; it seems as if everybody knows

somebody who has been affected by a business shift of some kind. Certainly

these transitions can be — and usually are — an unsettling experience for

everyone involved.

Change is difficult. By nature as humans, we crave established routines and

familiarity and have a fear of the unknown. Organizational change can breed

uncertainty about your job, your status within the organization, the roles you

might be asked to assume, the new chain of command, and more.

Frankly however, this is the new reality.

So how do we deal with ‘change’, then? Our work and experience shows us

that people react to change in radically different ways, and tend to work

through it at their own pace. Some will see change as an exciting opportunity

for personal growth or career enhancement. Others may focus instead on the

uncertainty of what lies ahead. Truth is, there is no one way to lead people

through a changing landscape. We coach our clients to follow a set of guiding

principles to help make the road ahead a little easier to navigate.

Recognize the stages of adjustment to change.

The Felix approach and methodology calls psychologist William Bridges’ three

phases of adapting to changes into play. In his book, “Transitions: Making

Sense of Life’s Changes”, Bridges identifies the first of these as the “ending

phase”. This is the stage where we tend to feel loss, regret and often grief.

The second phase is what Bridges terms the “neutral zone”, or that time

when we are out of our comfort zone, as we don’t yet know what lies ahead.

This is when we often experience uncertainty, confusion and questioning. As

the future becomes clearer, we enter the “beginnings” phase, where we allow

ourselves to react with energy and excitement.

Experience has shown that each of us moves through these stages at our

own pace, and often we can find ourselves moving backwards and forwards

between them during transition. What is key here is to recognize that

experiencing each of the three phases of change is inevitable and completely

normal.

Strength in people.™ Yours and ours.

By John Butler,VP Transformational Leadership

Practice, FELIX GLOBAL

Lizz Pellet,

Chief Culture Officer,

EMERGE INTERNATIONAL

Experience has shown us

that those who balance

work and personal life

during “change”

fare the best.

Knowing that you will

move through three phases

of emotions/reactions

is so helpful.



Remember you are not in this alone.

It is important to keep in mind that this change is affecting everyone around

you — from close colleagues to your family circle. These friends and family

can be excellent sources of support.

With the rapid pace of organizational change today, chances are very good

that someone in your close circle has gone through what you are

encountering. Sharing your feelings with them can be cathartic. Find out

how those around you dealt with change; learn from their mistakes and

successful solutions.

Try to stay positive at work and at home.

We know that when change happens, the rumour mill has a tendency to kick

into overdrive, especially when information is not being released as quickly as

you’d like. It is important not to get caught up in unfounded speculation.

If you hear something that worries you, it is best to approach someone who

might be able to confirm what’s true and what isn’t. Not knowing is often

worse than knowing, as we often tend to imagine the worst. If you notice that

some of your colleagues are consistently negative, we counsel our clients to

steer clear of them for a while.

When you’re feeling positive, look for ways to spread the mood and help

those around you adopt a more positive outlook.

Recognize that not all details of the transition may be shared.It is important to keep in mind that leadership may simply not have all the

answers right now. Or the transition may be rolling out in stages, along a time

continuum. That is not to say that the plan is secret; it simply may not be fully

flushed-out or ready for sharing by management just yet.

We know that a lack of information can lead to a lot of rumours and

speculation. In such cases, we have seen the best results occur when clients

approach their immediate supervisor with any questions they have. Ask about

what the change will mean for you and how it will affect your job. Sometimes

it’s better to ask, than to imagine the worst.

Even if you don’t get the response you are looking for, you will feel like you are

being proactive and taking control of your situation.


Remember that

change is occurring to

help position the

company for success.

It is better to ask, than

to imagine the worst.




Learning how to embrace

change is a life skill that can

help you make the best of

any situation.

Try to focus on the

positives in the changes.

Recognize that it is normal to feel loss, sadness and anxiety.Saying goodbye to colleagues, having job responsibilities altered, coping with

internal organizational changes, or not knowing what lies ahead can certainly

lead to feelings of loss, sadness or anxiety. This is entirely normal.

We counsel our clients to find someone to talk to outside of the work

environment to share your feelings with; they’ll be able to provide an

unbiased, fresh perspective that you may not have considered. We strongly

advise not to get caught up in water cooler talk where mass anxiety seems to

breed.

Realize that not everything is changing in your life.

Although work may represent a large portion of your life, other aspects of your

life are remaining stable and constant. You are still a friend, spouse, partner,

parent. You still have hobbies/routines that you enjoy pursuing. Think about

where your passions lie and consider becoming involved in your community to

create more constants. This will help you put your work life into perspective

and reaffirm that you are able to contribute in a valuable manner.

Reduce your stress.

Try not to let yourself get so overwhelmed by work that you lose sight of home,

family and personal responsibilities. Engaging in activities with those outside

the workplace won’t just distract you; it will also help remind you of your value

outside of the office.

Certainly change brings with it a certain amount of stress. What we coach is

finding ways to help keep those stress levels in check. Maintaining your

routines is a good place to start. Continue exercising or with hobbies, as you

did before. Socialize with friends outside of work to get your focus off of

workplace issues. Find a relaxation method that works for you and make it a

part of your day.

Balance your work/leisure time.

We recognize that when staff is displaced, workloads may increase and you

may find yourself working through lunch times and longer days. Although it

will be tempting to spend more time at work to stay on top of your game or to

hear what’s going on, our experience shows us that it is important to get away

when appropriate and clear your head and recharge. Now is the great time to

take that course you’ve been thinking about. Stretching yourself in a creative

way that is not associated with your daily work can help release stress and

allows you to focus on something else. You’ll be more productive the next day

as a result.




For more information: Laurie Melissen: [email protected] • 416.512.7244 x438 • Felixglobal.com

Stack the deck in your favour.

With change comes opportunity, and this could be your opportunity forpersonal and career growth. So make yourself more valuable than ever to

the company. Offer to take charge of some problem or project that isn’t

working. Put forth ideas. Take on more work, and figure out how to work

more efficiently. Stop worrying, and focus instead on helping the company

(and your career!) move forward. This could be your chance to break out of

your defined role and soar.

Smile. This too shall pass.

A happy, positive climate can really help roll out a transition more smoothly.

Take time to notice the positives in the changes, and try and focus on

them. Remember, the change is occurring to build an organization better

poised for success. And once the bulk of the change is behind you, it will be

business (albeit a new business!) as usual.

Learning how to embrace the positive side of change is a life skill that will

serve you well, enabling you to make the best of any situation. Your

personal and professional life will continue to be filled with change, both

large and small. After all, as Heraclitus once proclaimed, “The only thing

that is constant is change.“

Use this opportunity

to put forth new thinking

and shine.

Learning how to embrace

change is a life skill that can

help you make the best of

any situation.

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Felix Whitepaper Change July2011