CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
There has been a significant amount of talk about change lately. When you really think about it, change is everywhere. Change is not new; people have been adapting to change since the beginning of time. So why does change so often feel different, hectic or bewildering? Maybe today's changes are increasing in the number, speed and complexity. The key question is, how does one cope with the vast amount of change that surrounds us every day?
We can view change from a new perspective, we can learn to manage it and we can build skills to deal with it effectively. Change usually involves: the people we work with, task and responsibility, and the environment we work in.
There is a predictable pattern we usually follow when introduced to change. The first phase is the change itself and the emotional reaction to it. Everyone reacts differently to change. If you are the leader, you need to explain the change and why. Be prepared to discuss people's concerns and, if appropriate, involve them quickly to build commitment and promote a smooth implementation. It's important for one to have confidence in their ability to handle whatever might occur.
The second phase is the unknown. You might think all the rules have just changed and you are feeling disoriented; confusion is natural at this point. In order to work through this phase, you have to encourage people to generate ideas for adapting to and implementing the change quickly and efficiently. Challenge your team to identify what they can control or influence, how they can respond to the change, what steps need to be taken or developed to overcome resistance, clarify the change, review short- and long-term benefits of the change. Here is the point where the leader can have the team think of unconventional approaches, consider new ideas and contemplate innovative suggestions. This phase sounds like Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century at its finest.
The third phase is the adjustment. Soon you'll figure out an action plan and how or what to do to put the change into effect. This will probably require adjustment and reorientation. This phase can be exciting and energizing as it's the real action step of change. Now is the time to redefine the issues and priorities. As the leader, your role will be to discuss concerns openly, involve people in the development of the plan to overcome any barriers and gain commitment to the change as it only takes one person's resistance to adversely affect everyone's productivity and morale.
The fourth phase is the new "norm." Once the adjustments have been made, it only gets easier to integrate the change into your life or work environment. The ability to move into this phase truly depends on how the other three phases were handled. By taking initiative and being involved, you will help everyone adapt to the change and make it feel like the new "norm." You should be able to see the change more clearly and get accustomed to doing things differently and confidence levels should start to increase as the change becomes routine. Here is where you can celebrate successes and achievement of the goals. Now is also the time to seek out new challenges and suggest further improvements.
What can you do as a leader to help make change effective and efficient? To start, leaders need to view change as an opportunity, not as a nuisance, aggravation or frustration. Be the spark that ignites excitement about change and be able to explain why change is happening. Accept that people approach change differently and communicate and share information about the change. Listen to concerns and address them -- anticipate barriers. Gain the support of others by encouraging participation, developing and implementing team ideas, or suggestions. Prepare your people for any potential change situations by sharing information you might have related to a change. During the implementation of the change, provide training, support, resources and encouragement. Lead by example by having a positive attitude and commitment that enables long-term sustainment of change. So as 2009 begins, it's time to change your thinking about change and now, hopefully, you are armed with a few techniques to make change manageable.