Yesterday I had a conversation with a sales manager at a company that is going through a lot of great changes. The conversation was about how to deal with change. Change is great, without it progress will lag if it exist at all, but change usually isn’t embraced. The dichotomy (and disaster) with change in business comes when we don’t like/embrace change, but also feel we have to pretend it is no big deal.
Change is a big deal. Change helps us propel forward. Propel is defined as “drive, push, or cause to move” and let’s face it…”push” is usually the indicator in play. Being ‘pushed’ is not a comfortable thing for most people. It puts us in the position of feeling we have no control. It creates a dynamic which in turn has us focused on resistance rather than progress. Thus I repeat, change is a big deal.
This is why having a way to cope is such a big player. Pretending you easily adapt because you don’t want to look weak is a recipe for disaster. Epic failure is always born out of the failure to touch base with who we are as individuals. Forging forward in fear combined with faith, with drive, preparation, like a woman on fire, etc., is great. Forging forward in fear and acting like it is not big deal…not so great.
What is comes down to is this…when you forge forward showing you are maybe nervous/scared but driven and prepared you will have developed a layer of coping skills that engages others in your journey. What an excellent fit to go along on the ride with your other internal/external coping skills. When you march forward like it is the easiest thing in the world, and the world by nature knows it is not, you de-humanize yourself and disengage from your team. It is equivalent to telling everyone that you are better than them. And by the way, even if you are, exhibiting it will serve no one…not you, not them.
All this is to say, as people we love to have someone to root for, and we’d love to root for you too! Will you let us?
Strategic Alignment & Results 