10 Tips to manage Organizational Change successfully
To be in the middle of a reorganization or restructuring isn’t funny at all and adjusting to new circumstances is a drain on our psychological energy.
Some of us suffer emotional fatigue, others go even further and hit burnout.
Here are our 10 tips to manage that stress successfully:
1. YOU AND ONLY YOU
Don’t expect the organization to help you, you and only you can help you :-). Admit it and you are off to a start for the better.
2. INSIDE BUDDY
If you don’t already have one, your trusted buddy is a colleague within your organization, who can understand your anxiety and frustrations etc… it is always good to be able to vent and being understood! An outsider would not, no matter how much he or she would try.
3. ACTION
Keep yourself busy at work, look at what’s needed now, and set about doing it. Don’t just do it, get it done!
4. AVOID THE COFFEE MACHINE
The perfect place to keep you updated about the latest gossips and rumors, but really, do you want to waste your mental energy worrying about things everyone is talking about, but that have no basis in fact? No, you don’t.
5. SUSTAINED EXERCISE
Spend some time out, even if this is just a 10-minute walk, and do it everyday. Or get started in a sport or activity that you always longed to do but never could. Very healthy to give yourself a treat.
6. PUT YOURSELF IN YOUR BOSS'S SHOES
When you see higher management do something that looks wrong to you, remember it might look right if you knew more. Give your boss the benefit of the doubt. Also your boss might be boiling inside, but feel compelled to defend the actions of the organization.
7. BE VOCAL IS NOT THE SAME AS CONTRIBUTING
If you wish to flag a problem, be prepared to suggest workable solutions. Also, it will help you to accept the approach that the organization is taking.
8. DECIDE HOW MUCH TIME YOU WILL BE GOING TO HOLD A GRUDGE
It’s understandable that a person would be upset or disappointed about certain aspects of the changes. But how long should you let these feelings go on? 2 weeks, 6 months, a year? Back to the coffee machine, canalize your mental energy to something worthwhile.
9. LEARNING NEW COMPETENCIES OR SKILLS
Question the level of your competencies and get busy developing new ones if you think that they become outdated. Work on your own development plan You might as well ask for guidance from HR (remember the 70/20/10 model!)
10. GET SPIRITUAL
In other words, get your spirit in shape. Learn how to “unplug yourself” and how to put things into perspective. You should dedicate a reasonable amount of time to your “working” thoughts...
As a conclusion, change is here to stay. So, choose your battle carefully as you will be faced constantly with a choice of running against the wind or riding with the wind.