5 Strategies to Help You with Change Management

Change is inevitable. In fact, change can occur so frequently and regularly that in many cases we hardly notice it. We change our hairstyles, our fashions, our relationships, our opinion, or we re-arrange the furniture; all with little or no resistance. So, why do some of us react like a nuclear war is pending when we are confronted with change? Familiarity with our surroundings, our friends and relationships and our working environment allow us to reside safely inside our comfort zone. And comfort equals security. However, large changes require us to step outside our comfort zone, adapt to new patterns of behavior and learn new techniques for survival. Change makes us uneasy. Even when a change seems logical and reasonable, we ask ourselves, “Why can’t things remain as they are? I liked it just the way it was.” But that kind of thinking is self-delusional; we all want to change, whether we admit to it or not. Sure, there are people who say they are happy the way they are, but they are not being truthful with themselves. We all want to be better, faster, stronger, richer, more powerful, happier, more fulfilled; the list goes on and on. So, why then do most of us vehemently resist change? Change is a Fact of Life Progress requires change, so we must develop change strategies that reduce our resistance and allow us to view change with a positive and constructive attitude. Although the majority of us initially react to change with feelings of anxiety and disorientation, most of us are able, over time, to respond with a more favorable and positive attitude and mindset. After all, 9 times out of 10, change brings about new opportunities to improve our position, our wellbeing, our environment and our circumstances. Occasionally change is precipitated by destructive, stressful circumstances like divorce, death or natural disasters. When a catastrophic change occurs, most people require time and support to enable them to deal with the grieving process before they can adapt to the new changes that have