Is It Change or Is It Transition?

I have never been one to enjoy change. Whether in my personal life or at work, I have always been someone to dread any sort of change. However, in recent years, I realized that this can be a huge damper to my professional success, and I am constantly striving to see the positives in change.

Why is change so hard when it is the only constant we really know? We fear that change may lead to boredom or failure, instead of seeing it as opportunity! Maybe we should start looking at change as transition. “A transition is a personal transformation, a three-phase process of adjusting to change” (Bridges). Change and transition are not the same thing, but “where there’s change, there’s transition" (Bridges). Due to my lack of excitement for change, I have decided to implement the ABCs of change management into my professional life.

According to the article “Relax, It’s Only Uncertainty”, the ABCs are:

• Attitude: Enthusiasm for a task
• Behavior: Skills can be learned a bit at a time
• Capability: Practice, review your progress and always look to the next level

By utilizing these ABCs, I can practice seeing change as transition (and opportunity), versus something to dread.

In addition, I am challenging myself to be a “Good Rebel” at work. According to the Article “Rebels at Work”, Good Rebels are curious, ask questions, and strive for change to better their organization.

Do you remember a large change you experienced in your professional career, and how did you cope with this? I would love to hear any experiences you had, or hear of any other resources on how to cope with change in the professional world.