Understanding Change

Why is change important and how will it affect us in the workplace, on the court and in life? The more important question is not how will change affect us, but how and where will it not affect us? You may be hard pressed in finding an answer to that question. Change will affect us in every aspect of life. Once we get over the fear of change, endless possibilities will open up to us in our desires and pursuit of success. Change isn’t what leads to the problem, but the fear that change inflicts is the more debilitating issue. When we become fearful, we cease to grow. We must seek out change and see it for what it is, which is an opportunity to push ourselves past our current limitations and become something more than we thought possible. Nothing beautiful will grow in our comfort zone, but there are endless opportunities outside of that zone we have built that will allow us to learn, stretch, and grow along the way. “Change is an ongoing and never-ending process of organizational life. Although we would like to explain, predict, and control the process, organizational change often does not unfold in expected ways. (Burke, 2009 p. 58) From this statement we understand that change will never cease, and this is why it’s important to come up with a plan. “Many people have a difficult time adapting to change, especially when it comes to their jobs or team role. They tend to hold on to the past and not embrace the present. But when change is on the horizon, you can lead your team through the transition.” (Quiros, CMA, 2014 p.15)

Types of Change

The next question that came to mind was how to we get the people we are leading to focus on the present moment and let go of the past? This can be difficult for all of us when we have made mistakes in the past that caused stress, panic, worry, and other emotional factors. Every day we are faced with a myriad of decisions that can influence the people we lead and work with, along with ourselves. I often talk to my basketball team about having a short memory. “You can’t score if you never shoot.” (Lowy, 2011, p. 26) I use this quote with my team and tell them I will never pull them out of the game for shooting the basketball. If they take a bad shot, we may have to discuss why that wasn’t the best option at that time, but I will never take them out of the game for shooting the basketball. That’s the only way we will score! Having a short memory especially applies to them at the free throw line. Our percentages from the line hovered around 65%, which definitely leads room for improvement. I teach them to have a routine, and to do that same routine every time they step up the line. They must exude confidence in themselves and in their shot. It takes visualization, seeing the ball go through the net before the shot is taken. They must also use positive self-talk when they are standing by themselves at the line. This gives them the ability to shut out any crowd noise, convince their mind with positivity that this shot is going in, and then stepping up and knocking it down. The line about having a short memory comes into play next. If they miss, I want them to forget it. Don’t worry about it anymore. It does us no good if they are going to dwell on missed shots, and then let that have an effect on their next shot. I want them to have a short memory in forgetting the miss, stepping back up and making the next shot. This can apply to any aspect of the game. If we turn the ball over coming up the court, I want that to be forgotten, learned from, and then improved upon the next time we come up the court. By having a short memory, we allow for more opportunities to succeed. This means we are able to learn from the mistakes we make and move on without a lack in our confidence and abilities. Let go of the past by having a short memory, and further focusing on the present moment and the present opportunity to be great. To further allow the transition of change as leaders, we must allow for an environment where questions can be asked. If employees or team members feel nervous, anxious, and unsure, then we must make changes that will allow for a comfortable environment that allows us to ask questions to further our learning during the change. This will break down walls and barriers that change can often put up, and lead to quicker implementation of the change.

Analysis of the Change Plan

For change to work it must start with the leader. Once a leader develops a culture, it leads to the first step of change. To deal with change and analyze the effects, leaders need to instill characteristics in those they are leading. When a team comes together with a willingness, belief, a communication contract, a learning attitude, flexibility, and positivity, a change plan is created where we can measure how well we are performing and make changes along the way to reach the levels we had hoped.

Dealing with Change

Resistance to change is common. “The majority of companies that were most effective at change management had clear vision on the intents and purposes of change with sponsorship from the top.” (Merrial 2012, pg. 20) Dealing with change becomes an issue if the organization of employees and team members don’t posses the characteristics discussed above. Having willingness, belief, a communication contract, a learning attitude, flexibility, and positivity will help leaders help their teams to implement change. The faster these characteristics are learned and accepted, the easier it will be for team members to accept and then deal with and embrace the change.  “Failed change initiatives breed cynicism, kill motivation and trigger withdrawal from involvement in future efforts.”(Umble 2014, p. 16) In this case, the phrase, the sooner the better, really holds its weight.

Conclusion

Change can be a beautiful aspect of life. What we were once afraid of can be something we tackle head on and embrace. We all hold dreams, visions, and goals, and to reach those we are going to have to embrace change. We must change our situation, our thought process, and ourselves in order to reach our full potential. These things become easier when we develop willingness, a belief, a communication contract, a learning attitude, flexibility, and positivity. These characteristics will aid in the fight to conquer our fears, and thrust us forward into a world full of potential and opportunity. We must begin to accept and embrace change now.

References

Merrell, P. (2012). Effective change management: The simple truth. Management Services, 56(2), 20-23.

Quiros, E. (2014). Leading people through change. Strategic Finance, 96(5), 15-16.

Umble, M. (2014). Overcoming resistance to change. Industrial Management, 56(1), 16.

Van de Ven, A. H., & Sun, K. (2011). Breakdowns in implementing models of organization change. Academy Of Management Perspectives, 25(3), 58-74. doi: 10.5465/AMP.2011.63886530

Lowy, A. (2011). Nine paradoxes of problem solving. Strategy & Leadership, 39(3), 25-31. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10878571111128784