Change is one thing when you’ve chosen it. It’s quite another when you didn’t.
A restructure. A new boss. A redundancy. A change of role. A new system. A decision you didn’t make and perhaps don’t even agree with.
And if you’re feeling completely discombobulated by it - that’s not particularly surprising.
Most of us don’t necessarily dislike change, it’s that we dislike uncertainty, loss of control and the perception of loss.
Whichever way you look at it, the future of work is likely to be change, change and more change. Why? New technology, new roles, new structures, new expectations.
We will all have to develop the skill that means we don’t panic at the first sniff of change.
So what to do if you are on the receiving end of change?
Three things that might help.
First: don’t rush yourself straight into “being positive”.
You’re allowed to be annoyed. Or worried. Or disappointed. Or completely thrown. You’re human!
Name what you’re actually feeling rather than pretending you’re fine.
This is useful because you can’t really manage what you won’t acknowledge.
Second: separate what you can control from what you can’t.
You may not be able to change the decision.
But you can start asking:
What do I know?
What don’t I know yet?
What can I influence?
And what do I need to stop spending energy on because it genuinely isn’t mine to control?
That distinction can be incredibly freeing. Or at least give you some clarity on where to focus your energy.
And third: get yourself back into movement.
When change happens to us, it can make us feel powerless. Rabbit in headlights.
So ask yourself one very simple question:
What is one thing I can do next?
One conversation.
One question.
One piece of information.
One decision.
You don’t need to have the whole future figured out.
You just need your next move, because managing change isn’t about pretending you love what’s happening.
It’s about learning how to wobble but not fall down -find your feet again - combobulate yourself.
If this helps, let me know.
#futureofwork #careerskills #changemanagement
