Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right podcast, Episode 14: Don’t Resist Change, It Didn’t Work for Me — 5 Steps to Embrace Change.
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When change happens, many people would rather resist change than adapt to the new policies, procedures, or strategies. Instead, they do the same as always, only harder. They convince themselves that they are working hard so they are doing great. Actually, this is just a tactic to resist change.
This approach may work for a short time, but it is not a feasible long-term solution to adjust to change. If you continue to work the same as always, only harder RATHER than adapt to change, it just leads to burnout, pain, frustration, and/or anger for yourself and those around you.
Resisting Change Didn’t Work for Me
Some time back, I went through a change where I got a new boss. My new boss and I didn’t always see eye to eye. As I saw it, he came in and began changing everything without first figuring out what was currently being done and why. This rubbed me the wrong way so I decided to resist change. I tried to do everything I knew how to do, but faster than I had done it in the past. I worked as hard as I possibly could.
It didn’t take long for me to get very worn out. This approach didn’t help me to see eye to eye more with my new boss and it didn’t lead to my success. It just made me frustrated, annoyed, and angry because things weren’t going my way.
After taking this approach for a little while, I realized I would be much better off if I accepted the changes he proposed and accepted him as my new boss. I had a complete mind shift. Instead of fighting the change, I did everything I could to make him my ally by making myself a member of his team. I started doing my best to understand him and his methods.
I also did all I could to understand how he wanted things done and then did them according to his way. By adjusting my approach, I was much happier at the end of each day and life was easier.
Why I don’t recommend this approach
When I started out with the decision to resist change, it just didn’t work. When you work harder, and in effect resist change, you are only prolonging the inevitable. Change always happens. Therefore, you have two choices. You can join the change team or fight it.
Most of the time when change is implemented, the change leads to an improvement from the status quo. If you resist change and work the same as always only harder, you are only headed down a difficult road.
When technology or processes are advanced, we can either resist change or embrace it. When we use the advances correctly with the proper training, we are usually fast and more efficient as a result.
Just think, if you or I continued to use the computer we got 20-30 years ago while everyone else upgraded through the years, we’d be constantly frustrated while everyone passed us by.
The other downfall of continuing to work as you worked in the past (as was my case) you are building walls instead of trust.
Now we’re going to take a quick break for our sponsors.
A better approach
Although change can be very hard at times, it is usually easier to embrace than to reject. Now we’re going to talk about five steps to embrace change.
1. Seek to Understand
If you don’t like the change, talk to the people driving the change. Listen to their reasons for the change.
2. Voice Your Concerns
When you voice your concerns, explain why they are your concerns in a non-emotional or confrontational way so that they can listen to you and hear your side. You probably have some great points that need to be heard and/or addressed.
Once you listen to them, they will most likely listen to you in return and it will be much easier to move forward. If they don’t listen, you can have peace knowing that you let them know how you feel.
3. Change Your Mindset
Make a decision that you won’t fight the change. This may be hard but it is essential.
4. Join the Change Team
Since change is inevitable, join the change team so you can become part of the solution.
5. Become an Ambassador
This is when you embrace the change. When you embrace the change, you ask and answer all the questions relating to the change.
What do you think?
To close this episode, I would like to ask you the listener a few questions. Have you ever tried to resist change by working the same as always, only harder? If so, what were your results? Have you ever been the leader over someone that tried this approach? How did it work for you, the other person, and the team? Please share your thoughts in the comments section of the show notes!
Wrap-up
Thank you for listening to this episode of the Leadership Done Right podcast. If you would like to listen to the next episode of this podcast, please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or whatever other podcast platform you use. You can also check out the full list of episodes and platforms with this podcast at LeadershipDoneRight.com/LDRPodcast.
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Thanks again for listening! My goal is to help you become a great leader, now go be the best leader you can be!
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