Change management is a challenging and rewarding field that involves helping organizations and individuals adapt to new situations and processes. However, it can also take a toll on your emotional health, as you may face resistance, stress, uncertainty, and conflict. How can you cope with these demands and maintain your well-being? Here are some tips to help you.
One of the first steps to managing your emotions is to recognize what triggers them. For example, you may feel anxious when you have to deal with a difficult stakeholder, frustrated when you encounter a technical issue, or overwhelmed when you have too many tasks to complete. By identifying your triggers, you can anticipate and prepare for them, and avoid reacting impulsively or negatively. You can also use strategies such as breathing exercises, positive affirmations, or mindfulness to calm yourself down and regain your focus.
Some ways to get started are :- 1. Identify your triggers. 2. Set boundaries. 3. Learn from feedback. 4. Be the first to add your personal experience. 5. Celebrate your achievements. 6. Be the first to add your personal experience. 7. Invest in your development.
Change can be exhaustive even for those who are implementing the change. People-related change is difficult and takes time. People resist change, and change becomes more complex and ineffective, which leads to burnout. Foster the culture to change with the people and avoid duplicate work. 1. Execute change with a shared vision 2. Communicate frequently and effectively to keep everyone on the same page 3. A thorough stakeholder analysis helps in executing the change 4. Mobilize stakeholders about the change, engage influencers, and impact groups of people in bringing change 5. Celebrate often with all the stakeholders 6. Every change is unique and brings opportunities, so learn and grow while implementing the change
You can certainly think about what your key triggers may be and mitigate in advance with "if then" plans. Though you might be still caught off guard when a new trigger pops up. A key to self and emotional regulation is having a personal technique to help stop, and question your brain's predictions, where at all possible, in the moment. Making predictions is a way that our brain's conserve energy (it's normal), yet predictions are a lot of the times based on past experiences, value tagging etc, rather than what is happening in the here and now, and what might be the most supportive thing for you. Have "if then" plans, but don't forget to question your brains predictions. It's kind of like the saying, "stop and think before you act".
In my experience all the work in Change Management evolve preparation. It's also include the routine of being part in a team. Wellbeing can be challenging in our current uncertain times, but it's essential for sustainable career.
Another way to protect your emotional health is to set boundaries with yourself and others. This means being clear about your roles, responsibilities, and expectations, and communicating them effectively. It also means saying no when you need to, and not taking on more than you can handle. Setting boundaries can help you avoid burnout, resentment, and conflict, and create a healthy balance between your work and personal life. You can also seek support from your colleagues, managers, or mentors when you need it, and delegate or outsource tasks when possible.
Lacking boundaries when working in change, might not only lead to burnout, but it won't set you up for success, won't necessarily result in effective stakeholder relationships, and won't necessarily see great results. A key recommendation is to use contracting, as a way of boundary setting. That is, socially contract with your sponsor, leader and key stakeholders as to how you'll work together, what good looks like, what the accountability partnership will look like and how you'll address challenging conversations together. In fact, setting up accountability partnerships is a style of interpersonal RACI. Also, be honest about your capacity. Sometimes things will simply need to be re-shuffled. Unlike an octopus, we don't have 8 arms.
Im deutschen gibt es nur das Wort "Grenze". Dies wird meist mit Stacheldraht, Milit?r, Gewalt etc. assozisiert. Im englischen hingegen gibt es dafür zwei Begriffe "boarders" and "boundary". hierbei sind die assoziationen speziell bei zweiterem anders. Empfehlung: Sehen Sie ihre Grenzen mehr als Gartenzaun der ihre Berüfnisse schützt. Seien Sie klar in der Kommunikation wo dieser Zaun verl?uft. Achten Sie darauf, dass Sie selbst und andere die Grenze des Zaunes respektieren.
Feedback is an essential part of change management, as it helps you measure your progress, identify areas for improvement, and adjust your strategies accordingly. However, feedback can also trigger emotional reactions, especially if it is negative, critical, or unexpected. Instead of taking feedback personally or defensively, try to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Be open and curious, and ask questions to understand the feedback better. Thank the person who gave you the feedback, and use it to make positive changes in your work.
A former leader once said to me “feedback is a gift.” Ask for feedback from different people at all levels. Being able to receive feedback is a tool that helps us to grow and understand ourselves better. Having perspectives other than your own could result in adding value in some form. However, all feedback is not necessarily good feedback and understanding how to filter it properly is a benefit to your mental well-being. As the saying goes, “chew up the meat and spit out the bones.” In other words, use what you can and discard the rest.
Well said! As in data analytics, we look for outliers, you can do the same with feedback if most people are saying something then you probably should work on those but if there are one or two outliers that no one else feels then don't let that upset you.
Change management is a long and complex process that often involves many obstacles and setbacks. Therefore, it is important to celebrate your achievements, no matter how big or small they are. Celebrating your achievements can boost your confidence, motivation, and satisfaction, and remind you of the value and impact of your work. You can also celebrate the achievements of your team, your stakeholders, or your organization, and express your appreciation and gratitude for their contributions. Celebrating your achievements can also help you cope with the challenges and uncertainties that may arise in the future.
During change, you might have the feeling that things are not moving forward. This is usually a misconception. Because you are involved with the change every day, you don't notice the progress. To counteract this, take regular reviews / retrospectives. A success diary can also be helpful. Make a note of all the small steps in the right direction and make sure you celebrate them every now and then!
Finally, one of the best ways to maintain your emotional health is to invest in your own development. Change management is a dynamic and evolving field that requires constant learning and adaptation. By investing in your development, you can enhance your skills, knowledge, and competencies, and stay updated on the latest trends and best practices. You can also explore your interests, passions, and goals, and pursue new opportunities and challenges that align with them. Investing in your development can help you increase your resilience, creativity, and fulfillment, and make you a better change manager.
The most important is to be aware about challenges , their way out and long term vision/Motivation on what's in it for all of us together. Also how we manage to burn out in the process, showing trust and opportunities of development when changes going tough.Leaders have the responsibility to manage their own emotional health as priority so tough conditions can be managed with peace and calmness.Only a healthy mind can support others to stay healthy.
Make sure that you regularly get rid of the issues that are bothering you. Supervision or group or individual coaching can be helpful for this. Methods such as Grinberg, meditation or breathing exercises are helpful in achieving greater emotional stability. Make sure you plan enough of these!
Constant investing in your own development is key to change management. We do best on things that motivate us. Hence, be realistic in setting goals. Many times people burn out because they want to please others, not realizing this would create mental fatigue in the long run.
Perhaps we need “Keep calm and embrace change” badges?!! This seems like a strange question - I’m not sure there’s anything particularly unique about managing your emotional health when it comes to change. Except… because change by nature is going to happen in the future, taking a step back to focus on what you can realistically influence in the present is a simple but impactful step we can all take to protect our emotional wellbeing.