My former manager posted a quote today in my Facebook Group that said “Be at the table impacting change, before change impacts you.” Such a simple quote, but it says so much. I am not sure that everyone thinks about change in such a proactive way. This is especially challenging for those who are more fearful of change. They would most likely sit back and wait to see what will happen before doing anything. What if you tried a different approach and proactively got involved? There are some positive outcomes to be considered by getting involved.
In my experience, going through a big change can be exciting, scary and overwhelming all at the same time. Being a part of how that change will get implemented allows you to help shape what it will look like, how it will be communicated and influence the entire outcome. There will be situations that you may not be able to influence, but just knowing the details helps to eliminate the fears of the change.
You also get to be an advocate of the change for other people. This is especially helpful during highly complex changes that have a lot of moving parts. You can be a calming force for others who are not at the table. Sharing what you can with them about what is happening will help others move along the change curve a bit faster. It will also allow you to find out how others are feeling about the change, what questions have not been answered yet and whether the approach that will be taken to roll out the change will be effective. You can help to adjust things with that type of information to ensure a smoother implementation.
Getting involved also gives you an opportunity to get some visibility with senior management. Showing up with a good attitude and willingness to take the initiative to drive change is always viewed positively by your leadership. You will learn a lot about the art of influence, decision making, communication and leadership dynamics during these situations. It is good to go through the process as a member of the team. You never know when you may need to lead your own change management initiative in the future!
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