First Person: How I Respond to Workplace Change

In a perfect world, we would have a say in the situations that impact us the most. Unfortunately, life doesn't always meet our expectations and changes occur that we have no control over. I seem to think in certain situations that I can control the outcome as well as the behavior of others. This couldn't be further from the truth and I have learned this lesson the hard way. I blame most of my hard learned lessons on leadership. When you are a leader, you are expected to make decisions that positively impact your team as well as the business. You are expected to grow as an individual and you are counted on to "make things happen". These seem like reasonable requests for managers; however, the only person that I can control is myself, which isn't always easy. Through the years, leadership has taught me how to effectively manage change in such a way that colleagues have asked, "How do you stay so calm? You never lose your cool." The truth is, I've learned to remain calm when I'm surrounded by change because I've spent way too much time losing my cool! In order for me to embrace change and effectively manage it, I had to understand a few things.

First, I had to accept the fact that there is very little that I have the power to change. I had to assess what I could change as well as what I could not change. I could change my behavior and adjust my attitude. I could change my environment and avoid negativity at all costs. I could not change and still cannot change others. I've spent years trying to lead team members from average to exemplary and the reality is their performance didn't improve until they decided to change. If I knew how to change others, I would sell my secret and retire early.

Next, I had to learn to evaluate change, the impacts of it, and make a decision. When organizational policies are implemented, I am not asked for my thoughts, opinions, or feedback. The expectation is that I as an employee will follow company guidelines and will be an example for those who report to me. Although I may not agree with the changes, I have to decide whether or not the change is something that I am willing to tolerate. Five years ago, I was leading one of the top retail stores in my district. This particular location hadn't experienced the sales volume that we were seeing. The increase in sales introduced change in the form of an increase in hours worked. The impact to me was working more Sundays, which meant that I couldn't attend church services. After evaluating the number of Sundays I'd worked as a result of the change, I decided to leave the organization to pursue other career interests. I had no control over the way our sales increased, but once I understood the impacts of the change, I had to make a decision.

Finally, I had to acknowledge that change will always exist. I have memories of learning to ride a bike, getting lost on the first day of kindergarten only to be chased by a dog, and my first semester of college. Over the years, my career has changed, my demographic has changed, and who I am as a person has changed. The situations may vary, but the only thing constant is change. Because change will never go away, we have to learn how to embrace it and become better managers of it. I can't say that embracing change has always been easy, but I can honestly say that it's no longer challenging for me.

More from this contributor:

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How I Remain Calm Amidst Workplace Chaos