Have you ever gone through an experience where change was happening around you and there was nothing you could do about it? Change may have happened so quickly that you couldn’t maintain a stable and certain environment from day to day. Experiences like these can be very difficult and try our patience until we learn to handle them with ease.
People’s Expectation
There are people that deal with change in stride and there are those that fight change as much as they can. There is a wide range of people that fall somewhere in between. When speaking of people and their expectations, I am referring to those who fight change on one level or another just for the sake of fighting it.
People like stability, consistency, and dependability in life. As a result, they expect a stable and certain environment in most if not all aspects of life. When change happens, they think the role of the leader is to maintain a perfectly stable and certain environment. When that doesn’t happen, they get upset, frustrated, and even angry at leadership.
They feel that change will make their life more challenging so they don’t want it. There is a guy that I worked with once that fit right into this category. He fought any form of change that was introduced. We continuously told him that the change was for his own good. If he would accept it and move forward with it, it would make his life easier. He would fight it until it was forced upon him and he had no choice but to accept it. Once he finally accepted it, his life was easier and he would always say, “What a great idea that was!” Then when a new change came up, he would fight it all over again.
The Reality of Change
When people expect a stable and certain environment through change, it is an unrealistic expectation. Change, by nature, is going from doing something one way to doing it a different way. No matter how much you plan for the future, there will be uncertainty when you go through change.
Once you realize that change brings uncertainty and sometimes instability, you can move forward with much more ease. You stop worrying about that which is outside your control and start doing your best with what is in your control. You are able to roll with the punches and be happy because you know that you will make it through the change.
Leadership
When you lead people through change, you can help them by keeping a positive attitude that things will work out. Let people know that although it will be challenging for a time, you will make it through the change. Also, explain that everyone will be better off as a result of the change.
Keep an open discussion as you go through change. Having open discussion won’t completely eliminate the uncertainty, but it will make it easier to handle as a group. When you talk about the change, allow people to speak freely about their frustrations, challenges, concerns, etc. This will make the change easier for everyone. Also, be real and transparent with people. They will appreciate your honesty and candor.
What do you think about a stable and certain environment when going through change?
Have you expected a stable and certain environment through change? Have you worked with people that expected a stable and certain environment? How did you come to realize that stability and certainty weren’t realistic expectations through change? How did you help others to have that realization? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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