Nothing is life is permanent, except change
Earlier this month, Shivonne delivered an away day session for one of our clients all about change management. We thought these reminders about the power of change for good might be helpful, as we are all living through exceptionally changeable times.
For some of us, the word ‘change’ can strike terror in our hearts (and stomachs). Most of us have had a bad experience with change.
Sometimes change is done TO us, not WITH us or FOR us. This can leave us feeling powerless and uncertain. We are carrying the baggage of a bad programme of change and look for examples of how the current change is replicating our past experiences.
Understanding our feelings about change
Understanding why we feel the way we do about change is vital to reframing how we feel about change.
As human beings, we feel comfortable with familiarity and structure. We like to know how things work, be comfortable with our place and our role, and know what to expect and what’s expected of us.
However, change is inevitable, change is constant, change is unavoidable, change is GOOD!
Bringing our awareness to the feelings that can suddenly overcome us, when we have a load of change dumped on us, is extremely powerful. Being able to see what’s going on can give us an opportunity to respond differently. It gives us a powerful moment to choose how we react.
It also enables us to ask for what we need! We are allowed to ask for what we need to be successful in our roles at work. We should ask for what we need to navigate change and THRIVE. Not just survive!
Once we learn to embrace change, we stop wasting energy, time, money. We also save ourselves a lot of upset and drama.
This allows us to realise that change often brings a lot of new opportunities and experiences. It can actually be good for us, for our organisation, and for the communities we exist to serve.
Three questions you can use to reframe your thoughts and feelings around change
Think about a recent experience of change you lived through:
How did it feel? Take some deep breaths and think of at least 3 emotions or feelings to describe your experience and the experience of those around you.
What unhelpful or negative beliefs do you have about change now as a result of what happened then?
What feedback would you give to the people leading that change to make things go better next time? What would YOU have done differently if you were leading that change?
Find out more about Roots + Wings and how we could help you overcome fundraising, communications, or other challenges you’re facing. If you would like to work with us, drop us an email on hello@rootsandwings.studio