Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California

Change

It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and a plan of action.
FIDEL CASTRO

We all know how hard change is, but adapting to change can be challenging and fun. Here's how you can make the transition easier, and benefit from opportunities that may be presented.

1. Look to the future. Anticipate change and its potential impact on your work area.

2. Be optimistic about change. Look at it as an opportunity and a challenge rather than a threat. Think about how you could benefit rather than what you stand to lose. Focus on the opportunities that might come your way. For example, people tend to move to jobs with more stability during turbulent times. This will give you an opportunity to expand your job or, better still, apply for a better job that has been vacated.

3. Keep your ear close to the ground, so you are aware of pending change. Find out how significant it will be. Determine the following:

   • Who will be affected?

   • How significant is the change?

   • Is the change organizational, legal, technological, or procedural?

   • Is the change urgent?

4. Try to understand change in the context of the "big picture." Review the company's mission and vision on your own or with your boss. This will give you a context within which the changes make sense.

5. Ask your boss if you can go to a workshop on change. You will learn some new coping skills to make the transition easier.

6. Show people how they can benefit from change. If the task requires more effort, skill, or responsibility, provide rewards such as higher pay, more time off, or specialized training.

7. Listen to your colleagues' ideas on how to make change as smooth as possible. Their advice could prove invaluable.

8. Some of your plans for change will fail. Treat failure as a learning experience. Analyze what you did wrong, so you don't make the same mistake again.

9. Be conscientious of your own reaction to change. Typically, people go through four phases:

   • denial;

   • anger;

   • acceptance;

   • action.

Work quickly through the first three phases to get yourself into an action mode.

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