The Key to Making Successful Changes..
is thinking through who will have to let go of what when change occurs.
Understand there is a difference between CHANGE and TRANSITION
The weather in Northern Virginia over the past few days has been delightful. Sunny, no humidity, with a light breeze. Letting go of summer is bitter sweet for me. I love the smell of suntan lotion and cantaloupe, the sounds of cicadas, and wearing shorts and a t-shirt.
Yet leaves have started to fall. The sounds of crickets change. The local grocery store put up their Halloween display.
Why is change challenging?
• CHANGE is situational. It is new processes, a new boss or team member. It is external; the outcome.
• TRANSITION is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation. It is internal. It depends on letting go of the old reality and the old identity you had before the change took place.
Here’s how it works:
- Identify a change you are making (losing weight, changing jobs, learning Spanish) OR a change that is happening to you (child is leaving for college, spouse lost their job).
- Write down what you have to let go of when this change occurs.
Unless TRANSITION occurs, CHANGE will not happen.
Transition starts with an ending. Think of starting a new job. You have to let go of the old peer group, commute, lunch counter, or competence level. Another example is moving your office to a new building can be seen as a loss of something related to a person’s job.
The failure to identify and be ready for endings and losses that change produces is the largest single problem that organizations in transition encounter.
After you complete steps 1 and 2….
Be ready to experience the NEUTRAL ZONE. This is the space between the old reality and the new one. This is time when you let go of the old identity and create a new one, and it’s UNCOMFORTABLE!
Steps to Successful Change Management:
- Identify a change you are making (losing weight, changing jobs, learning Spanish) OR a change that is happening to you (child is leaving for college, spouse lost their job).
- Write down what you have to let go of when this change occurs.
- Experience the discomfort the Neutral Zone. This is normal and to be expected.
The change that is happening to me is summer ending, my son has left for college. I’m in the Neutral Zone.
How are you embracing the transitions that come along with change?
Read the following entries found in my book, Savvy Woman in 5 Minutes a Day: Make Time for a Life That Matters.
September 23: You’ve Got A Friend
June 1, June 2, June 3: Manage Change and Transitions
