Change is something that everyone experiences in their careers every day. It often occurs without any warning not allowing you prepare mentally for the change. To remain productive and effective in your position, it is important that you accept the reality of change and that it will likely happen at one or more points in your career. To help you cope when faced with change, I have listed some tips that will help make the process easier for you to manage.
- Accept That Change Will Occur – One of the first things that we need to accept is that change will happen. No matter how much we don’t like it or want it to, change is constant. The more willing we are to accept that change will occur, the less upset we will become when it does happen.
- Be Ready – One of the best ways you can anticipate when change is coming is to be aware of your environment. In the workplace you should be on the lookout for small clues that may give you a warning of impending change. Are people talking about something specific, have you noticed changes in attitudes, or has business simply gotten slower. These are all signs that may precede an impending change. If you are alert, you may not be caught off guard when it occurs.
- Communicate With Co-workers – We all know how important communication is in the workplace; it can be even more important when it comes to change. If you openly communicate with your co-workers, you may find out information that can precede a significant change in your work environment. While you may not be privy to some information related to the upcoming change, others may be. Communicating with those around you can alert you to any significant changes that you may not be expecting.
- Be Flexible – When change occurs, it is important that you remain flexible. The better prepared you are to adapt to the new changes taking place, the greater your chances are of successfully adapting and accepting the change. If the change that occurs affects your position directly, the more flexible you are the less disturbing the change will be. It will cause some stress, but not as much as it would have if you are not flexible.
- Stay Positive – This may be one of the hardest things to do when faced with change, but it can make the entire process much easier on you. Remaining positive when faced with change will help you deal with the uncertainties associated with all change. You will also be able to focus on your job rather than worrying about what is going to happen.
There is no way to avoid experiencing change in your career, what you can do is not allow it to cause stress in your life. Change happens, if you accept it and deal with it in a positive manner, it will be easier to accept and deal with.