By Sam Ast, Re-Entry Workforce Development Specialist, Goodwill of Western Missouri & Eastern Kansas
Change at work and in life is often unavoidable. This post will discuss various types of change at work and explain how best to navigate through these shifts while you adapt to new realities. If you are interested in learning more about this topic or find yourself wanting to prepare for any such occurrences happening at your place of work — now or in the future — please continue reading.
Managing Change at Work
Change can come in many varieties, and not all are inherently bad. Be it a shift in leadership or culture, a reorganization of departments, the addition of new staff, or adjustments to one’s own role and responsibilities at work — these alterations have the potential to be disruptive and disorienting. However, transformations in the world of work are not destined to lead to tragedy. There are steps you can take to prepare for such circumstances and actions you can take to help mitigate any unwanted or negative consequences.
One way to prevent the surprise of change is to expect that it is quite likely to happen at some point or another. This near inevitability in life and in the workplace can actually be a positive occurrence. If you are good at what you do, and if your talents and values are well-established, external influences are not destined to affect you, your work or your overall career path in harmful ways. Staying committed to your regular functions can help you ride the waves of transformation in a way that does not leave you left out or worse off. Nevertheless, it is advisable to remain amenable to any revisions to your daily activities that may be required throughout this transition. Remember, it is through vigilance, dedication, flexibility and planning that you can begin to face the variety of possible scenarios you might encounter.
How to Adapt
Being adaptable can be uncomfortable. If you strive to embody this trait, you will likely exhibit many different behaviors. First, as mentioned above, you’ll want to try your best to go with the flow. This means that even though you may not like what is happening around you, it is up to you to do your best to remain neutral in your reactions and opinions toward such events.
This does not mean you should abandon your convictions or become ambivalent. In cases when life is moving quickly, it is advisable to observe and analyze this new environment before formulating a response and jumping to conclusions. This tactic serves to insulate you from unwelcome consequences that could result from wading into debates or processes you might not fully understand yet. Second, stick to your routine, do your best to establish a niche talent or area of expertise, and try to retain as many of your regular duties as possible. If you are able, demonstrate your ability to pick up extra tasks and duties as needed. This display of utility is also a portrayal of value.
Negative Changes
There is, indeed, strong potential that some of the changes imposed will not be pleasant. There could be layoffs, terminations, cut work hours or altered shift schedules. Not everything can be parried effectively or dealt with in a way favorable to you. If these undesirable incidents happen, there may not be an easy way to protect yourself or rebound quickly if you are affected. Just keep in mind that there will be time to contemplate your next moves, and you should have ample occasion to craft remedies that ultimately leave you better off.
With hundreds of Goodwill® career centers providing essential resources and personalized support, we can help people find meaningful work, including during times of change. Our career navigators are committed to making dreams come true by offering career guidance, résumé assistance, skills certification, application help, interview prep and ongoing support, including financial assistance that can help to enable you in your journey to find and keep work. This support can be critical during any period of upheaval.
Remember, you are not alone on this journey. If you need assistance with career readiness, developing marketable job skills or overall counseling regarding any of your employment needs or questions — we are here for you! Please stop by a Goodwill career center to learn more about how Goodwill can help you.
