Newsletter of the East Bay Chapter of STC
January/February 2004
Strategies for Making Change Work
by
Suzanna Laurent
STC Associate Fellow, Oklahoma Chapter
I took a few days off work last month to visit and present programs for some STC chapters. When I returned to the office, I learned the company had reduced its workforce by 25%. Thankfully, I survived the layoff, but it caused me to reflect on how people are unexpectedly faced with dramatic changes in their lives—changes they must learn to manage. Even though I was not laid off, I’ve had to confront emotions and adjust in other ways.
Change has been a part of our lives since birth. It’s that way for all of us. We are what we are because we’ve gone through—and survived—all kinds of change. And that change has had various effects on our lives.
Although we don’t always welcome change, more times than not it
is a positive force in our lives. At least that’s been my experience.
As I tried to understand myself and my reactions to change, I read all
I could find on the subject. Over the years, I learned some strategies
from experts that help me accept change and make it work in my life. Perhaps
if you are going through some kind of change, using these strategies will
help you make sense of it.
Anticipate Workplace Change and Be Ready for It
First, you must accept that change is with us, and it is here to stay. Once you know about and accept change, you can anticipate it, prepare for it, and make it work for you!
How can you prepare for workplace change? Reading books like Future
Shock by Alvin Toffler and Understanding Tomorrow by Lyle
Schaller can help. Putting these strategies into action is perhaps the
most important way of all. The key is that you honestly accept workplace
change as a fact of life. Instead of resisting or fighting it, consciously
decide to make it work for you. It’s a mindset technique—an
important one!
View Change as Opportunity
When faced with change, I think “CEO”—Change Equals Opportunity. If you want to be the CEO of your life, you must think like a CEO. Without change, neither you nor I would be where we are today. Change has broadened our horizons and enabled us to grow. With every change in our lives, there have been new opportunities. The same thing can happen in the workplace.
Practice Effective Stress-Management Techniques
If you are feeling stressed, you must practice good stress-management strategies. There are many good books on stress management. Briefly, you must:
- Control your emotions; don’t let your emotions control you.
- Ignore rumors.
- Accept that change takes place.
- Take care of yourself physically.
- Keep from acting out of anger.
Do Your Work
Even in the midst of organizational change, it’s
important to keep your part of the bargain. There will be others who don’t.
But unless they hinder you in getting your work done, those people aren’t
your worry. Your concern is to be true to yourself and to do things that,
over the long haul, will help.
Management watches, observes, and remembers. When there’s a future
promotion opportunity or someone is needed for a special project, management
will look to those who helped during the change—even if they didn’t
particularly like what took place. It’s in your own best interest
to continue to do your work to the best of your abilities.
Look for Ways to Do More
There are always lots of things that don’t seem
to get done during organizational changes. Instead of wasting energy trying
to assign blame or worrying about why those things aren’t getting
done, step up and do more yourself! Be ready and willing to take on a
new assignment, stay late so that an important project gets done on time,
or take on extra responsibility. It will be noticed, because companies
seek employees who look for ways to do things better, more efficiently,
or with fewer resources.
Tell Others About the Results of Your Work
The best way to help managers know you are successful is to “toot your own horn.” Start by making a list of the many things you do in your job. List the projects you’re involved in, the teams you belong to, or any special assignments you’ve completed. Then list the results of those activities. For example, let’s say you are the leader of a documentation team. As you analyze what you do, you begin to realize that you’ve had some great results, which might include reducing costs, improving processes, or saving time while producing better documentation. Why focus on results? Because the results you’ve achieved are a strong indicator of what you do best. Once you’ve identified the results of your work, tell others. You can mention your results to a supervisor during a staff meeting, make sure your written reports include statements about the results of your work, or pin up a note on the wall of your office to remind you (and others) of your success.
Be Someone Others Enjoy Working With
Nobody likes to work alongside a grouch, a complainer,
or a negative person. Make it your goal to be the one who has a positive
attitude, smiles, and says “please” and “thank you.”
There will always be some who grumble in the midst of change, who see
only the drawbacks and not the opportunities. It’s more important
to be someone who others enjoy working with; it’s not only more
fun, but it’s the key to making change work for you! 
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