A 5-Step Strategy to Deal with Change in the Workplace that Will Help You Emerge a Winner   

The landscape of our work environment is ever-changing. Because of this, adaptability has become one of the most highly valued and sought-after soft skills in new employees. But change is hard. Everyone struggles with change, and in fact, nature built human beings to maintain homeostasis (for instance, our body temperature is supposed to remain at a healthy 98.6 degrees.) So it’s a given that, in some ways,  disruption of the norm can affect our psychology and physiology, with widely varying levels of stress response as the result.

However, the ironic truth is that, as the Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated, “The only thing that is constant is change.” In other words, it’s the one thing on which we can always  rely.  We cannot eliminate change in our lives, and certainly not in the workplace.

So, for impending workplace change, there are really only four options: cope, fight, adapt, or leave. Coping (haphazardly) is simply a “quick fix” for your emotions until you can adapt, but it is not the solution. Fighting can very well get you fired — and of course leaving is certainly an option if the change is more than you are willing to bear. Adaptation, then, is the key. If you want to stay in your current organization, learn how to adapt, or your struggles throughout your career will be significantly greater with each looming change.

To get your response under control, and allow you to move forward, consider this 5-step strategy to help you navigate workplace change, whether minor or significant:

Step 1: Understand and Own your Feelings

First, determine how you react to change, both in general, and in this specific case:

General

• Do you internalize and analyze, then come to understand how you feel?
• Do you react rashly or hotly upon receiving word of a change, and then take time to cool down or come around?

Specific

• Do you genuinely not care about whatever it is that will be different at the office?  Take time to mull this over; sometimes people react automatically, without assessing whether the shift will actually affect them on a daily basis.
• Can you see anything positive about the change?
• Can you see yourself coming around and adapting?  If so, how will you adapt, in concrete, practical terms?
• When will the transition – and the new normal — take effect?

Answering these questions will help you understand and get a handle on your reaction.

Realizing Why Change Can Be Difficult for the Emotions

Did you know that the neurons in our brains create circuits that then underlie our habits? This is called  Hebbian Theory: “Neurons that fire together wire together.” This means that once we get used to a certain experience – for instance, everyday office life – the brain learns to group its thoughts together for the sake of efficiency (kind of like making its own system of folders) so we are not constantly in brand-new learning mode. So it’s no surprise that we struggle with change, since it means we have to start all over again with a new scenario.

Thus, let yourself off the hook for your initial adverse reaction to a proposed major shift in office life, whether it involves policy or staff. It’s very likely that the vast majority of employees experiencing this transition feel exactly the way you do.

Even more importantly, don’t give up. Even though your brain creates habits, you are also capable of significant adaptation. Be confident in knowing that you can adjust to the coming change, even if it is less than desirable.

Finally, try to keep an open mind. Just because it seems displeasing, there is a chance that the change will be for the better, or at the very least, there could be something positive as a result. The decision was (presumably) not made lightly, and came with the intention of a positive outcome. Your ability to prepare yourself, and alter your negative reaction and mindset, will serve you well in adapting more quickly.

Step 2: Seek Advice from Trusted Sources to Overcome Fears, Doubts, and Concerns

Do you have a mentor? Someone with whom you are in touch, and whom you trust to give reliable career advice? Perhaps it’s a college or grad school professor. Maybe a previous manager has maintained a relationship with you.  Even a valued family member or friend who has experienced something similar can provide some helpful job-related advice. So:

• Ask how they have adapted to changes in their work environment.
• Talk through the scenarios of your reactions as well as the questions you have for your manager.
• Seek counsel regarding the effect this may have on your career.

The point is, let this be your opportunity to vent your frustration, as opposed to airing negativity with your current colleagues. A trusted advisor should show you understanding, and offer valuable advice for coping and moving forward.

If you truly have no one outside of your workplace who could give you career advice, it would be valuable to start seeking those relationships. A good place to start: finding local groups with like-minded individuals, or via groups on LinkedIn.

Step 3: Make Your Concerns Known – Within Reason

Figure out the right time to voice your concerns to your manager, after giving yourself a chance to process the news and really consider its implications (both positive and negative). In fact, it would be valuable to reserve exhibiting your reactions with your peers as well; it’s so easy to get caught in a negative spiral while gabbing with others affected by the change. Instead, set yourself apart, literally and figuratively, and you may see others follow suit.

You still have to figure out how to adapt, so be prepared to ask your manager all sorts of questions. You deserve to know how the change will impact you, your team, your job, and your future. Just make sure your manager knows you want to be as prepared as possible to adapt to the change, so having certain questions answered will help allay any potential concerns or challenges. If at all possible, focus on the positive side of those questions instead of the negative connotation and outcome. Positivity will go a long way towards both strengthening your own psyche, and impressing your manager.

That said, there is nothing wrong with respectfully pushing back or voicing your opinion to your supervisor. In fact, open dialogue should be encouraged in your working relationship. But it takes a savvy and practiced employee to know when the change is completely out of your control and therefore, not worth pushing.  Above all, remember to be confident, flexible, and positive in this conversation.

Step 4: Show your Manager/Senior Leadership that You’re Flexible and Adaptable

Not everyone is able to feign excitement or eagerness for a change they are not sure about or that concerns them. Keep in mind that your manager wants you to be adaptable to inevitable change. If they see it as a constant struggle for certain employees to be flexible and adaptable in the workplace, those employees may soon be seeking employment elsewhere.

So, how to do your best to get with the program? Some people attempt to “fake it ‘til you make it.” I recently heard it called “fake it ‘til you become it,” which resonates much more positively. The upshot is,  whether you want to adapt or not, the announced change is coming soon, and you will very rarely have any control over it.  So smile and nod agreement (or acquiescence at least) and tell your manager (and, importantly, yourself) that you can be flexible in times of organizational change.

Step 5: Now Adapt!

You’ve received the information you need, and have sought out a few valuable resources to cope with the change. You’ve done some self-coaching to ensure your behavior is not downbeat in the face of this transition.

The only thing left to do now is adapt. Dive in. Be a change agent, using some simple steps to ensure you’re your own best role model:

• Show understanding for the challenges everyone is facing, but encourage positivity. Set a strong example.
• Don’t foster negative talk among co-workers, even if none of you want the change to happen. If you’re in, be in.
• Dedicate yourself to the higher purpose at work — meaning, you are a part of the company culture. This could be a chance to step up and be a leader. It doesn’t matter where you are on the organizational chart. Your manager will appreciate having someone they can rely on and not have to worry about. This could earn you any number of positive accolades or opportunities.

As the wise philosopher said, the only constant that you can count on in life is change. This is true in the workplace as well. So if you stay flexible, create and maintain a genuine ability to adapt, you will be a happier, more effective employee who will see greater opportunities throughout your career.