Coping with Change & Uncertainty in the Work Place

1. Coping with Change & Uncertainty in the Work Place

2. Common Myths Regarding Change and Transition • It happens quickly • Time takes care of everything • Pressures that caused the change will be seen in a rational manner • Change occurs around a definitive event • During change, those who appear “OK” really are

3. Reaction to Change The BASIC Response Behavior Affect Somatic Interpersonal Cognitive

4. Change and Communication • Every message has a fact or thinking component • Every message has a feeling component • Every receiver has a fact or thinking component • Every receiver has a feeling component

5. Change and Communication Balance must be kept NOT Message Receiver Thinking Feeling Thinking Feeling Message Receiver Thinking Feeling Thinking Feeling

6. Change and Communication Balance comes from understanding and identifying the feelings.

7. Reaction to Change Anger Withdrawal Confusion Sadness/Worry

8. Stages of Transition Stage 1: Denial Stage 2: Resistance Stage 3: Exploration Stage 4: Commitment

9. Reaction to Change Anger Description: Anger: occurs when we realize what is gone is gone. We respond with anger to the changes. Our anger is almost always a smoke screen for one of the other three reactions to change. Once we have an opportunity to vent our anger, what usually emerges are feelings of withdrawal, confusion or sadness. (Not in any preordained order.) Risks: • If our culture says that anger is ‘unacceptable,” we will suppress our anger, only to have it surface in undesirable ways. Otherwise forthright people find themselves masking and intensifying their reactions to change.

10. Reaction to Change Anger (continued) Typical Behaviors Include: • Raised, intense tone of voice. • Walking out. • Refusing to talk. • Self-pity. • Trying to get others on his/her side. • Backstabbing or sabotage.

11. Dealing with Anger • Find an appropriate place to vent. • Find a non-judgmental person to listen to your venting. • After venting, identify your core feelings (i.e., sadness, worry or confusion).

12. Reaction to Change Withdrawal Description: Withdrawal: occurs when an we react to the change by drawing back and appearing to lose interest and initiative. Risk: • Withdrawal is one of the most serious problems in organizations today. If not addressed, people will turn their personal energy, creativity and commitment into survival and insulation at the very time the organization needs their talent and commitment the most.

13. Reaction to Change Withdrawal (continued) Typical Behaviors Include: • Not asking questions. • Not seeking information. • Not discussing with others. • Being hard to find. • Doing only the basic requirements. • Shrugging shoulders.

14. Dealing with Withdrawal • Talk with an objective person that can help you identify the main issues that you are having with the change. • Explore your options regarding the issues one by one. • Act on one issue at a time so as not to feel overwhelmed.

15. Reactions to Change Confusion Description: Confusion: occurs when we feel lost and confused. We don’t know where we are or what we are feeling. We lose sight of where we fit in. Risks: • Because we are not aware of goals/priorities, our activities may be misdirected. We may be doing the wrong things. If we were doing the right things, we wouldn’t necessarily know it and could suddenly change and do something else.

16. Reactions to ChangeConfusion (continued) Typical Behaviors Include: • Always asking questions. • Doing the wrong things. • Getting others to ask questions. • May worry or “catastrophes.” • Become very detail-oriented. • Not knowing the priorities, spending time instead on “busy work.” • Leaving work undone until questions are answered.

17. How to deal with Confusion • Review the available information. • Write out a plan. • Set short term goals. • Review the goals and the plan with someone that you trust.

18. Reaction to Change Sadness/Worry Description: Sadness/Worry: occurs because something or someone that we identified with has been removed. Specific tasks, a location, workteam or job gave positive feedback, comfort or a sense of belonging that is no longer there. We feel “incompetent.” Risks: • We are vulnerable and may become the victim of our own self fulfilling prophecy. The longer we believe we are incompetent the better the chance that we will become incompetent.

19. Reaction to ChangeSadness/Worry (continued) Typical Behaviors Include: • Reminiscing about the old days when they overcame incredible obstacles to get things done. • Dwelling in the past. • Complaining about losses. (resources, freedom, status, etc.) • Saying “I used to have a great job, working with a good group, really know how to get things done around here”, etc. • Sulking. • Continuing to do the old job. • Associating with the previous work team, at lunch, after hours. • Resisting new procedures, supervisors, or tasks.

20. How to deal with Sadness/Worry • Explore value system links to the change. • Identify what value was most liked about the former environment. How can this value be supported in the new environment. • Try to be completely honest with yourself regarding the concerns.

21. General Strategies for Getting Through a Transition 1. Minimize the stress • Talk to a trusted friend. Discuss your worst fears and best hopes, talk about how you might cope with change. • Find a physical activity you like and do it regularly. Exercise is a wonderful stress reliever. • Don’t increase your use of alcohol and cigarettes. At best, they only help you to sweep things under the rug. 2. Emphasize the opportunity • Don’t fight change -- deal with it. Look for ways to make it work to your advantage. • Be realistic about what you expect. Don’t expect the worst but don’t have unreasonably high expectations, either. • Develop skills in areas you see as having value in the future. Increasing emphasis is being placed on “transferable” skills, skills which can be used in many settings. • Maintain your relationships on the job.

22. Strategies for Getting Through the Transition (continued) 3. The Three Rs of Change…Recover, Refocus, Regenerate • After a life change, you need to regain your sense of balance and routing. To begin your recovery, it will help to step back from your situation and do something fun…plan a get-away weekend or just take time for yourself. • If you are able to look at the big picture, you’ll gain greater peace of mind about the change. Take time to think about what has happened, why, and what it might mean. • All change is stressful for your body and your body needs time to heal. Get extra rest, eat properly, and increase your circle of support.

23. Those Who Manage Change Well In a study done some years ago by the Journal of Occupational Medicine, those people who managed change well shared three characteristics: 1. They perceive change as an opportunity rather than a threat. 2. They have an internal value of belief system that assists them in experiencing change within an overall philosophy of life. 3. They are connected to a support network that allows them to receive input, ideas, and support from others. We offer a fourth: 4. They are conscious of their diet, rest and relaxation, and physical activity.

24. How the EAP Can Help During Times of Change THE EAP IS . . . . • Confidential; • Available 24 hours a day; • Available to you at no charge; • Welcomes you and your immediate family members.

25. How the EAP Can Help During Times of Change(continued) YOUR EAP CAN . . . . • Help you deal with emotional conflicts regarding the change; • Assist you with coping strategies for dealing with change; • Be a resource to help you make a successful transition.

26. Your EAP is just a telephone call away. A counselor is available to talk with you at any time.