Topic № 34
Thriving on Change

Most leadership courses include the topic of change. Leadership expert and author of Growing the Distance, Jim Clemmer, offers a workshop called Leading @ the Speed of Change in which he explores how people react when on the change train. He suggests some people thrive on change, others put up with it, and some end up whining. Give up the whimper and go beyond survival.

Here are 15 tips to help you thrive on change.

15 Tips to Thrive on Change

1) Expect and accept change.
2) Believe you have the capacity to change. Know your potential and exercise it.
3) Say No if you have thought over the opportunity for change and decided it is absolutely not good for you or your loved ones.
4) Notice if you resist change out of old thinking such as We have always done it this way, or I can’t or It sounds hard.
5) If you conclude that fear is hindering your adjustment, say to yourself, I can feel the fear and do it anyway.
6) Expect to make more mistakes when you are adjusting to change.
7) When change is at an unusually fast pace, keep as many other daily routines in place as possible. Don’t initiate other changes such as signing up for an accounting class or beginning a rigorous diet.
8) Take extra time for self-nurturing, considering that change requires an extra output of energy to re-establish routine and flow.
9) Eat balanced meals. Exercise and rest when possible.
10) Maintain order visually at work and home.
11) Delegate and share the load.
12) If the load gets so heavy you don’t have space or energy for a smile or laugh, it is time to re-evaluate.
13) Regularly make life improvements and embrace possibilities to please and satisfy yourself and your loved ones.
14) Grab opportunities for new learning, new responsibilities, new challenges, new places, new connections and a new you!
15) Consider what responsibilities, challenges, places, activities, and people you could say Goodbye to, to make space for desired change.

To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi:

Be the change you want to see at work, home and community.