The Winds of Change

“The wind of change, whatever it is, blows most freely through an open mind.”

                                                                                                          -Katharine Whitehorn

In the last six months, I feel like I have been battered by the winds of change. Movement in divisions, employees, offices, and policy has flown in on a turbulent breeze. Whew- anyone else feeling that?

These winds of change were powerful enough to change regions, in that I recently changed the territory that I serve and now am working with a new team, a team that contains a handful of holdovers. During this transition, we lost some tenured employees and gained new people. There were times, admittedly, when it felt overwhelming- like the wind of change had the power to capsize the stronghold I was accustomed to. In hindsight, (my father-in-law always said he had a PhD in hindsight) the transition has been rewarding.

Akin to a ship that battles a gust of wind and emerges victorious on new land, I have found reward after this time. Ultimately these rewards are founded within process, perspective, and purpose.

With a new team, I was forced to re-visit the “why” behind what we do. This has helped me get back to the basics, the foundation of what makes me “love what I do.” Not only reverting to the tunnel vision of the steps I could do in my sleep, but understanding and comprehending the “why” that surrounds it all.

A new team also brings a renewed enthusiasm to the division. Watching our team grow from not know what or even why we do what we do, to then struggling with their lack of application of the new knowledge, to ultimately the pinnacle “EUREKA” moment, has given me a renewed energy. The growth and learning associated with the journey has reinvigorated my passion for the field.

A new team that is on their brisk of the learning curve can also result in things falling through the cracks. Because of this, I was hearing from clients and staff about service failures that entailed. However, despite the “failures,” I was given an opportunity to build and rebuild relationships! Reaching out to clients and staff that I had not spoken to, for some, in months/years, helped me get back to the relationship piece that is so vital in the work that we do.

Lastly, I was given the reward of redefining my focus. Sometimes it is easy to get lost in the “five-year plan” that we all have and get “heady.” Having a new team helped me realign my motivation and remind myself that I am first and foremost here to help develop individuals.

Ultimately, if you feel that you are being tossed to and fro from the winds of change, know that on the other side of the storm there can be many rewards. An open mind and an ability to look beyond the whirlwind should result in your reaching your own ship’s ending “treasure.”