Surviving & Thriving During Times of Great Change

Surviving & Thriving
During Times
of
Great Change
Presenter
Martha N. Bryan
What is Driving All This Change?
T. I. P.
T.
Technology (doubles every 2 years)
I.
Information (doubles every 5 years)
P.
People (they drive the process)
Employees are driving technology / information.
Customer demands are getting higher & higher.
Some Guarantees
Change Is
Not Going To . . .
# 1
. . . Get Easier!
# 2
. . . Slow Down!
# 3
. . . Go Away!
# 4
. . . Be Trouble-Free!
But
"The future is
coming so fast,
we can't possibly
predict it; we can
only learn to
respond quickly.”
~
Steven Kerr
You are Responsible For
Dealing With The Change!
Change!
Change! Change!
***************************
Those Who Get
Stuck In Change
Those Who Get Stuck In Change . . . It Shows

Feeling trapped in situation

Passively letting others control them / situation

Struggles with interpersonal relations

Conforms to unrealistic demands / pressures from others

Withdrawing physically or psychologically / suffers in silence

Passively watching television, reading, over sleeping

Sees work as distasteful, dull, unpleasant and unrewarding

Preoccupied with disappointments and people who
"did them in"
“
Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that
those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it.”
~
Goethe
They . . .
Habits of People
Who Will
Survive & Thrive
During Times of
Great Change

Have a dream and a plan.

Are willing to work hard.

Don’t take no for an answer.

Are self-reliant.

Take responsibility for their actions.

Look for solutions to problems and makes decisions.

Have the courage to admit mistakes.

Have specific knowledge, skills, training, and talent.

Work with and cooperate with other people.

Are enthusiastic.

Never give up.
The Dynamics of Change
A Sense of Loss
Uncertainty
"People are always blaming their
circumstances. The people who get
on in this world are the people who
get up and look for the
circumstances they want. If they
don't find them, they make them.“
~
George Bernard Shaw
Ambiguity
Trust Deteriorates
Withdrawal
Self-Preservation
“How come nothing is
like it was until it’s gone?”
~
Will Mastin
How We Label Change
Determines How Quickly
We Bounce Back.
“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves
strong. The amount of work is the same.”
~
Carlos Castaneda, Anthropologist & Author
Language Used To Describe Change
Unresilient (Negative) Words
Frustrating
Catastrophe
"It'll Never Work"
More Work
Setback
Misfortune
Trouble
Failure
Fear
Ruin
Disaster
Fate
Decreased Job Security
“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of
circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.”
~ Hugh Downs
Language Used to Describe Change
Resilient (Positive) Words
Exciting
Challenging
Growth Opportunity
New Skills
Job Enrichment
Bounce Back
Learning Experience New Opportunity
Increased Job Security
“You gain strength, experience, and confidence by every
experience where you really stop to look fear in the face.”
~
Eleanor Roosevelt
Characteristics of Change
People
. . . will be ill at ease / awkward during change.
. . . will feel alone during change.
. . . will think first of what they have to give up.
. . . will be concerned if not enough resources.
. . . can handle only so much change.
And, If the pressure is removed,
people revert back to old ways.
C
H
A
N
G
E
Time & Difficulty -- High
Organization
Individual
Attitude
Knowledge
Low -- Time & Difficulty
Key Concerns During the Stages of Change
Present State
Desired State
Letting Go Of Old
Ways Of Doing Things
Accepting, Adopting,
Executing Alternative
Ways Of Doing Things
Transition State
Moving Through Transition
Can I Handle Change?

Do I accept change willingly?

How eager am I to take risk and face change?

What changes have I experienced in the last year?

What have I learned from these changes?

Am I able to keep my perspective during change?
“It’s not so much that we’re afraid of change, or so in love
with the old ways, but it’s the place in between that we
fear… it’s like being between trapezes. It’s Linus when his
blanket is in the dryer. There’s nothing to hold on to.”
Enhancing Your Ability to Thrive on Change
--
Don't fight it (defend values and ethics)
--
You don't have to like it
--
Be willing to let go of the past
--
Have a sense of humor
--
Expect to succeed
--
Build a personal coping strategy
“Change is always tough. Something familiar is destroyed.
Something unknown comes along. The greatest opportunities arise at
times of greatest change.
Tough times require us to lose our heads enough to free
ourselves from trying to simply stay on top of change. We must
aggressively step into the unknown or risk the certainty of being
destroyed by the status quo.”
To Thrive On Change. . .
Circle of
Circle
of
Influence
Concern
Stay In That “Circle of Influence”
You Have More Control . . . Than You May Think

What you do with most of your free time

How much energy you exert on each task

Your thoughts and imagination

Your attitude

Your tongue

Who you choose as role models

Your commitment

Causes which you give your time and ideas

Your memberships

How you play your cards

Your concerns and worries

Your response to difficult people and times
During Times Of Great Change
.........................
Don’t Let
Negativity Get To You
Negativity “Bad Attitudes” . . .
Where Do They Come From?
Boss
Family
Individual
Organization
Culture
Society
Do These Negative Workplace Issues Sound Familiar?

A lack of trust is keeping morale low.

Employees make preventable mistakes because they don’t care.

No one seems to have fun at work anymore.

Employees spend too much time complaining and griping.

The rumor mill is out of control.

Employees talk badly about management and others

Workplace absenteeism is increasing.

Back-stabbing / biting are creating an adversarial environment.

People stop talking when the manager comes in.
Negativity . . .
is the result of unbridled and unchecked pessimism.
An Optimistic Attitude Brings Hopefulness.
A Pessimistic Attitude Brings Helplessness.
“People aren’t disturbed by things,
but by the views they take of them.”
~
Epictetus
How
“Bad
Attitudes”
Get
Started
Thoughts
Beliefs
Attitudes!
Perceptions
Interpretations
How Bad Attitudes Gets Started
Beliefs . . .
What we hold to be true
Perceptions . . .
Our impression of people and events
Interpretations . . .
How we give meaning to a situation
“Everything can be taken from a person but one thing;
the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one’s attitude in any
given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
~ Victor Frankel, Auschwitz Prisoner
Author Man’s Search for Meaning
How Negativity Travels . . . The Catalysts
Contagious
Mood
Conflicting
Views
Non-Productive
Communication
Behaviors
The Effects Of Negative Thoughts & Feelings Include . . .
drains your energy.
blocks positive thought and creative thought.
causes stress and worry.
causes anger and illness.
They . . .
reduces productivity.
prolongs painful situations.
affects the way you listen to others.
affects the way you communicate with others.
affects the way you deal with others.
takes the fun out of your life.
Attitude . . .
How we choose to think.
Feeling . . .
What we get for thinking the way we do.
We Know . . .
1.
We choose our thoughts.
2.
Thoughts create reality.
3.
Reality determines behavior.
4.
Behavior leads to results.
We’ve Learned . . . . . . .
Life
Is A
Choice!
How To Overcome Negativity?
Learn to Interpret . . .
Events
&
People
Optimistically.
Developing a Winning Attitude

Recognize your insecurities and take action to correct.

Control self-talk.

Don’t think about what you don’t have.

Identify successes and focus on your talents.

Offer name first in every conversation.

Don't underestimate your intelligence or overestimate others.

Practice speaking up every chance you get.

Become an expert in your profession.

Be thankful. Start a victory wall and file.
(Continued)
Developing a Winning Attitude (Continued)

Graciously accept compliments.

Help others to build confidence in themselves.

Maintain good body posture and walk faster.

Work to improve assertion skills.

Maintain good eye contact.

Be positive even when you don’t feel like it.

Make smiling a habit.

Strive for excellence and not perfection.
Eliminating Workplace
Negativity . . .
What The Individual Can Do
Self-Reflection
You Must Constantly Ask Yourself . . .







Who am I around?
What are they doing to me?
What do they have me reading?
What do they me saying?
Where do they have me going?
What do they have me thinking?
And most important, what do they have me becoming?
Do
Then Ask Yourself The Big Question: Is That Okay?
~
Jim Rohn
Quick Fixes For Overcoming Negativity

Set a time limit for negativity.

Focus on the big picture.

Set ground rules.

Look at quality criticism as a plus.

Use flip side thinking.

Stop the thought! – “Caught it and rethought it.”

Use a rubber band to snap away the negativity.

Use the win-win approach to resolve problems.

Surround yourself with optimistic people.

Be your own best friend - control internal dialogue.

Play your winners - your strengths.
(continued)
Quick Fixes For Overcoming Negativity (Continued)

Develop new skills.

Do something to help others.

Alter, Avoid, Accept.

Reward yourself for being positive.

Lock in the negativity at work and / or at home.

Recognize the negativity trigger points.

Take a time-out.

Provide an attitude checkup.

Encourage laughter.

Use a recorder.

Keep thoughts in the present.
(Continued)
Quick Fixes For Overcoming Negativity (Continued)

Keep future focused.

Have a favorite saying.

Avoid “neg-attacks”.








Shift focuses to the positive.
Practice forgiveness.
Ask yourself “What is the best / worst . . . ?”
Determine the source and avoid it.
Change your physiology.
Eliminate any benefit you might receive.
View every challenge as an opportunity.
Realize - You can only do what you can do.
“A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather
a person with a certain set of attitudes.”
~
Hugh Downs
“Bad attitudes have become mainstream. Irreverence,
criticism, and disrespect are at the forefront of our humor,
entertainment, media, political discourse, and everyday
conversation.
These personal attacks and ‘character assassinations’
occur so often, they are no longer shocking or noteworthy. We
have become desensitized to such attacks. We do not just
disagree with someone’s ideas and actions, we attack their
intelligence, ethics, and morals.
Managers have moved from guideposts to whipping posts
and frequently bear the brunt of employees’ personal feelings of
insecurity and inadequacy, outside problems that filter into the
workplace, employees’ lack of personal preparation and failure to
position themselves for tomorrow’s workplace opportunities as
well as stalled careers.”
~
Harry Chambers, Author
The Bad Attitude Survival Guide
Managing
At The Speed of Change!
What Did You Notice During Change?

You felt less comfortable & confident at first.

You had to work harder and concentrate more.

You had to quickly ascend the learning curve.

Noticed a little voice saying
“Now why do I have to do it this way?”

Quantity of output decreased.

Visible quality of output worsened.
More Change, Less Productivity . . . At First
Change & Productivity
P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
v
i
t
y
Higher
Productivity
Levels
Current
Productivity
Productivity
Declines
Time Needed For Change
Stages of Change
Present
State
Transition
State
Future
State
Step-By-Step . . . Implementing Change
Step 1:
Determining Need For Change
Step 2:
Preparing Tentative Plan
Step 3:
Analyzing Probable Reactions
Step 4:
Making Final Decisions
Step 5:
Establishing Timetable
Step 6:
Implementing The Change
“Every change looks like failure in the middle.”
~
Rosebeth Moss Kanter, Author
The Change Master
Change Implementers Start With These Questions . . .
Why are we doing this?
Why now? What if we don't do this now?
What is our destination?
Precisely how will we get there?
What's in it for our people?
How will the gains outweigh the losses?
How will we bring our people along with us?
How will we consolidate the changes?
In the midst of winter, I finally learned
that there was an invincible summer.”
~
Albert Camus
Helping People Through Change










Take personal interest in each employee‘s development.
Communicate clear expectations and benefits.
Let staff decide how the job is done.
Provide staff with tools to do the job.
Remove obstacles.
Provide effective coaching
Encourage calculated risk taking
Use performance appraisals as learning tools
Revamp reward & recognition systems
Revamp compensation systems
Helping
People
Through
1.
Involvement
2.
New Information
3.
New Ideas
4.
New Experiences
During Change . . . Employees Want Answers
•
What is going to happen and why?
•
What is their responsibility?
•
Impact it will have on them?
Communicating the Change
•
Seek first to understand.
•
Express thoughts & feelings clearly.
•
Postpone evaluation.
•
Be willing to change.
•
Be willing to confront.
•
Think win – win.
Communicating Change
Convey that you . . .
. . . Are personally committed to the change.
. . . Recognize change will negatively impact some.
. . . Are open to discussing feelings about change.
. . . Are confident that the "team" will succeed.
. . . Want input to make change work.
"To Change Your Life . . .
Start Immediately -Do it Flamboyantly -No Exceptions -No Excuses."
~ William James ~
Expect Resistance . . . How to Overcome
--
Begin with the end in mind.
--
Define the vision clearly.
--
Involve others early.
--
Identify and work with change resisters.
--
Set measurable objectives from the outset.
--
Design for early success stories.
--
Realize that change will never cease.
Surviving & Thriving During Times of Change
Takes
Controlling
Stress!!!!!!!!!!
Stress is . . .
1. Our internal response to the outside world.
2. Our inability to deal openly and honestly with self and others.
3. Stress is the feeling you experience when you perceive a gap
between what you want and what you have.
Stress originates
. . . not out there,
But . . . Only in our mind.
Inability
to
Manage
Time
........
The
Cause
10
10
10
10
________
10
10
49 ©
Balanced
Life
Wheel
50 ©
Spirit
Health
Family
Balanced
Wheel
Social
Spirit
Financial
Health
Career
Family
Social
Unbalanced
Wheel
Financial
Career
51 ©
The Wheel . . . Your Walk, Talk & Sound
When it is Balanced
When it is Not














52 ©
Managing Stress Takes a Life In Balance
What You
Value
How You
Live
53 ©
Congruity . . .
Experiencing
Balance, Harmony, And Appropriateness
With The Events In Our Life.
Your values should be your guide to remaining in control
and productive.
Self - actualization will come when you form a congruity
between what you value (believe) and how you live (perform).
54 ©
Encumbered with low self-image,
Bob takes a job as a speed bump.
Keeping Cool, Calm, and Collected When the Pressure Is On











Have "escape routes.“
Remind yourself of your good qualities.
Talk to yourself.
Set realistic goals and expectations.
Take care of number one.
Establish quiet time.
Accept change.
Focus on areas you can control.
Negotiate and re-engineer pressure situations.
Learn how to spot your stress warning signals.
Stay informed about what is happening.
(continued)
Keeping Cool, Calm & Collected when The Pressure is On
(continued)










Keep current in your field.
Have a plan "B".
Be a problem solver.
Use weekends as a change of pace.
Everyday do something you really enjoy.
Have an optimistic view of the world . . . focus on the positive.
Be flexible in your attitudes . . . you may not know the full story.
Anticipate corporate change by constantly updating your skills.
Make friends with non-worriers.
Learn from those who are best able to manage stress.
(continued
Keeping Cool, Calm & Collected When the Pressure Is On
(continued)









Ask a colleague to let you know when you appear to be stressed.
Maintain your network and support groups.
Have a reward system.
Balance your life.
Go with the flow.
Learn to say "no.“
Have a positive mental attitude.
Maintain sensible perspective and a sense of humor.
Warm up to your job or find a new one.
The Six C’s For Surviving & Thriving On Change
Competence
Love Of Learning
Healthy Habits
Emotional Competence
Social Intelligence
Connection
Network (encourage & support others)
Positive Relationships
Character
Living Life Ethically and Living Personal Values
Valuing Differences
The Six C’s For Surviving & Thriving On Change
(Continued)
Caring
Stand Up For Fairness and Freedom
Share Skills That Will Help Others
Confidence
Belief In The Future
Self-esteem
Persistent Resourcefulness
Find Answers And Creative Solutions
Contribution
Purpose, Meaning
Motivation, Sense Of Direction
Surviving & Thriving
During Times
of
Great Change
************
The End!
Thank You!
Presenter
Martha N. Bryan
Those Best Able to Survive & Thrive on Stress





High Self-Esteem (Sense of Worth)
Feel They Can Control World Around Them
Are Challenged by Change
Are Committed & Intensely Involved in What They Do
Regard Challenge as an Opportunity to Grow
“The greatest weapon against stress is
our ability to choose one thought over
another.”
~ William James
Reaction to Change – Overlapping Impact
Physical
Mental
Emotional
University of Michigan Study
Worries
60% were unwarranted
20% were already resolved
10% were petty
10% were legitimate concerns
(2% were of significant issues)
“Your level of communication
mastery in the external world will determine your level of success
with others - personally, emotionally, socially, and financially. More
important, the level of success you experience internally - the
happiness, joy, ecstasy, love or anything else you desire - is the
direct result of how you communicate to yourself.
~ Anthony Robbins,
Author Unlimited Power
Change & Productivity
P
r
o
d
u
c
t
i
v
i
t
y
Higher
Productivity
Levels
Current
Productivity
Productivity
Declines
Time Needed For Change
Change Implementers Start With These Questions:

Why are we doing this?

Why now? What if we don't do this now?

What is our destination? Precisely.

How will we get there?

What's in it for our people?

How will the gains outweigh the losses?

How will we bring our people along with us?

How will we consolidate the changes?
Root Causes For Negativity
Low self-esteem
Stress / burnout
Fear
Physical conditions
Boredom
Lack of understanding
organization’s vision, goals
Unresolved conflict
Past experiences
Inability to handle change Lack of feedback
Resentment
Lack of recognition
We have experienced an erosion of respect for people, positions, and
institutions.
Employees are holding you accountable for crimes you never committed
and problems you do not have the power to fix. It comfortably distances
employees from responsibility.
Today’s employees are less fearful of what you might do to them and
more resentful of what they perceive you haven’t done for them. We are
no longer motivated to avoid loss.
Blaming is a comfortable way to distance themselves for any
responsibility, affirms their righteousness, and avoids accountability for
unresolved issues.
Bad attitude employees do not differentiate between a four alarm blazing
fire and a burned marshmallow.
Antagonism is fashionable. There is always someone or something to
be against. There is no middle ground. We tend to think in absolutes.
Every decision they make is wrong.
They are always out to get me (us).
Everything the boss or company does is wrong.
The company will do everything they can to get me.
With the advantage of hindsight, elapsed time and observable results,
we have become experts at being post-event critical. After-the-fact
geniuses -- used by those who are not secure enough to put themselves
on the line and take risk.
Change! Change! Change!
Because business growth had dropped substantially over the past year due to the
economy, ABC organization determined that it would need to achieve a 25% reduction in
force over the next six months. Department heads were charged with informing their
employees about this change. The head of one department had the following
conversation with one of the clerks:
Manager
"We've been told that we need to achieve a 25% reduction in force over the
next six months."
Employee "But you told me this job was secure. When I was hired, you said,
no one ever gets laid off from this organization!"
Manager
"Well that was ten years ago, and this is now."
Employee "So, am I going to be laid off?"
Manager
"I don't like your attitude, young man. Keep it up, and you can count on it."
Employee "Well spare yourself the aggravation. I've had it. I quit!"
The employee packed up his belongings and left. The manager sat shaking his head.
He had been planning to tell this employee that because of vacancies in his department,
he didn't think anyone would be laid off. Instead, people would be cross-trained and
have to assume a little more responsibility. Now he was losing one of his top
performers, and he wondered what went wrong.
Merger Change . . . Case Study
It was Friday, January 31, 2004, 3:30 p. m. when an urgent memo from Ben
White the CEO of Fab Industrial had just been issued to all employees by
electronic mail. All departments had been briefed by their respective
managers to expect the memo. Employees had not been given any of the
particulars about the content of the memo, but rumors were already flying.
The memo read as follows:
To:
From:
Date:
Re:
All Fab Industrial Personnel
Ben White, CEO
January 31, 2004
Company Status
As you all know, All Fab has been experiencing financial difficulties.
In order to address those difficulties, All Fab will be merging with
National Industrial at the end of this quarter. Effective April 1, 2004, we
will be called National Industrial. While it may call for some changes
from us, I believe that this move represents a wonderful growth
opportunity for the company. I look forward to your continued support
and cooperation.
Relocation Change . . . Case Study
A major renovation project will require moving several hundred employees
from the Capital Mall Building to a temporary location(s) for a period of one
to two years. The relocation will have the potential for many different
impacts such as the stress of packing and moving, commuting, and
geographic distance from business associates and social contacts.
Managers have been discussing the eventual move with their employees.
One discuss included . . .
(Continued – 1 of 2)
(Continued -- 2 of 2)
Manager
“We will be hearing more specific information about the move in the coming weeks, but you
need to expect to be working in a new location that is not downtown for one to two years, so
please consider this if you will be making any decisions or changes concerning housing,
childcare, or transportation.”
Employee
“But I commute with my spouse who works downtown and our daycare is just a couple of
blocks from here. When I was hired you said this was a family friendly organization.”
Manager
“Well, we are still family friendly, and we will do what we can to help you meet your family
obligations.”
Employee
“Does that include buying me a car and gas to get to some office out in the hinterlands? I
won’t be able to walk over and see my kids at lunch? This will be a disaster!”
Manager
“Oh, calm down and keep things in perspective. Keep in mind that you will still have a job
and you will be back downtown eventually.”
Employee
“Yea, but until then, this will never work. The time and stress from this move will make me a
wreck. I’m going to have to look at other job options to stay downtown.”