How To Take Change In Stride

by Rick Saldan

The only feature of life which is permanent is change. Whether you accept it or not, whether you are prepared for it of not, people, situations, values, beliefs, in fact, practically everything both inside and outside us change. When you visit your old home town after years, you look around and exclaim: “Nothing in this town has changed. Everything is where it was when I left it”. The fact of the matter is that things have indeed changed. Except that you can not see it! I realized the importance of coping with change for the first time when I saw the prayer quote of American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, made into a colorful poster on one of my colleagues' desks which read thus: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” My company was going through a merger – with new bosses appearing every day ushering new ways of doing the same things we were used to doing. My colleague who had plastered this poster on his desk was paranoid of the changes he saw around him. The fear had its effect on his efficiency and it was evident from his falling grades in the subsequent appraisals. Fortunately he was counseled at the right time by professional training institutes who intervened only to make him understand the reality that is called CHANGE. That event taught me the importance of facing change with courage and I remembered Mahatma Gandhi's courageous words as he led India towards Independence. He convinced this large nation to face change with these remarkable words: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

The first point to realize is that change is inevitable. Though some changes in our professional and personal lives do leave us shattered but if we are apprehensive and fearful of any imminent change, it could damage our lives even more. Thus the key to facing change is to let go of fear. Easier said than done, how can we go about taking change in stride? Perhaps one of the first things to remember is that there are two ways to accept change. Either you accept it or ignore it. If you decide to ignore it, the powerful force called change would change you. However universal the phenomenon of change may be, not everyone is willing to accept it with open arms. People by nature resist change. Yet a change can be for the better too. In America, over 8 million of people relocate every year. They are willing to bring a change and break the familiarity of living in the same city, so that they could access a better quality of life. There are many activities which show that people are keen to change, when they vote to usher in another band of leaders who would lead their nation to more prosperity and opportunities. But when people have not consciously worked for any change and it happens, most people fear it and some even loathe it for years. Only to surrender to the giant force in future.

The key to accept change gracefully is to get freedom from fear and develop a positive attitude towards the changes the forthcoming event would bring. When my colleague recovered from his bout of fear, he realized that the changes in the management are actually for his own good. He could stand out in a class of his own, amongst surrounding mediocrity as he got ample opportunities to show his strengths and job competence. The point here to note is that most future leaders are chosen from a situation which is going through stressful changes. For instance when we are talking of any major corporate change, the management is always on the look out for people with positive bent of mind, who manage to take the changing rules and orders in stride. These ever-hopeful people are hand-picked by management in the future for future leadership roles, for their fortitude, their ability to act gracefully in the face of challenges, and overall positive deportment. When change is inevitable, especially in a corporate environment, the best thing to do is to play strategic and swim with the tide – with the best intentions of proving your worth. This should be taken as an opportunity in disguise, where the old is going to pave way for fresh blood, fresh ideas and fresh challenges which must be met with courage and grace. In other words it is worthwhile to accept change as a quintessential part of life. Be willing to surrender what you are, for what you could become.