How to avoid change at work

Is it really possible to avoid it? Sure, many people out there have mastered this trick over their careers. You know the drill; the next big, massive, complex, value-creating, all-problem-solving change is announced. Here it comes, again, like a huge crashing wave of anxious, technology and process-fueled energy. So you ducked, and it passed right over. Once safely gone, you sit up again and get back to work. Safe and sound until the next wave comes around. 

You probably actually got quite good at this, even as the waves came faster and faster. Until one of them hits you, which is puzzling because as good as you've learned to avoid them, you didn't even see this one coming! Was it a re-org? Digital? Agile? No matter, shake it off and get right back to...boom!, another one hits you before you can even refresh your inbox. Soon enough, they are coming fast and furious, one after the other without giving you time to catch your breath. What do we call this storm of change waves?! Business as usual. 

Yep, this is the constant change everyone keeps talking about. This isn't really news to anybody in the workplace, yet there is still this sense that you can somehow duck under them, maybe swim a little or perhaps even learn to surf! Not now, and likely not in the future. No need to despair though, there is a loophole to all this. Get involved. Yes, sounds too simplistic, or like more work, but truth be told there is something to it.  Proactively getting involved gets you closer to the action. and may even help you understand the purpose of the change in the first place. Sounds too easy, but there are cautionary tales. Like everything in our inbox, we need to prioritize. 

Now for change leaders, this is good news. With our increasingly hyper-connected, socially-enabled workplaces communications and transparency can be more of a help than a hindrance. People are willing to get involved in return for giving them the opportunity to do so! The thinking that you spring a surprise announcement on the masses and then complain about having to "manage resistance" should be a thing of the past. Much like the constant iterations and feedback loops our software development colleagues have excelled at, we can involve, gain feedback, improve and ultimately drive adoption in more inclusive ways.

So whether you are being asked to change your ways, or you're asking others to do so, seek to involve and not avoid. Happy surfing.