Facing the Challenge of Change

“People don’t resist the change; but they resist being changed” is a proverbial statement. A change is always associated with an element of fear, a sense of insecurity, a threat to the status quo, a step towards the unknown. Some are willing to change provided they get a knowledge of what the change has in stock for them. A few others think that the change could bring an opportunity for growth but want to wait and see how others take it or adopt it, before they indulge into it. A few others are willing to consider it on a set of pre-conditions which assures their security. As a change is normally a step to the future, some feel intimidated by the loss of currency in taking bold steps. 

“Take hold of the future; otherwise, future will take hold of you” said Patrick Dickson in his book “The Future of almost everything” A change is not necessarily a move from order to disorder; it could be otherwise too. It could blow into the life of an individual or a system like a breeze, like a cyclone or impact like a tsunami. It depends on the interacting ecosystems. It is therefore important to have adequate clarity about the change, its content, its possible impact and its dynamics. Moving towards change without a forethought, without consideration of the strength at one’s store and without a strategy might oftentimes land the individual or the system in avoidable discomfort. The argument that the absence of adequate knowledge about what is stored in change is no adequate reason to stay behind is neither an expression of wit nor wisdom. “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I do not believe in circumstances. The people who get on this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they cannot find them, make them”, says George Bernard Shaw. "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new,” said Socrates. 

The first step towards the change is engaging with it. Though a few tend to escape from the change due to fear, fall a prey to their own actions despite several competencies they hold with them. Engaging with change helps to create an emotional connect with the change. An emotional connect with the change helps to empathize with its scale and speed which in turn helps to immerse in its design and ideate. Ideating a change may not be easy and sometimes may be impossible. If one finds the doors to ideation is open, should not hesitate to enter and challenge it. Ideation helps in visualization of the change; however opaque or transparent it is. The inevitability of change should provide necessary emotional inputs that helps to seek a comprehension of it either in its minuscular form or at its macro level. 

The pathways to change may not be smooth; rather it could be a hurdle race. Every individual may not be able to see the hurdles ahead. Collective wisdom may help to put heads and hearts together to examine the challenges and threats ahead in a more comprehensive manner. The collective wisdom of all the stakeholders is achieved through a participatory approach. Participation of the entire team helps to support each other and in scaffolding each other. This makes the journey to change less stressful and more fulfilled. In this participatory approach, peer learning acts as a great healer to those who suffocate due to anticipation, ignorance and fear. Further it helps to catalyse the mobility of change by pumping more dopamine to collective efforts. Participatory approach facilitates strategic development by assigning time and space to all stakeholders so that they feel less stressed in realising the change.

Once a fair understanding is achieved, it is necessary to put in place a few standard operating procedures to move towards the change. This becomes necessary because a change is not necessarily at the individual level, but could be for a group, a community or an institution. If everybody must walk together or independently, the absence of some standard operating procedures might force them to take their own chosen paths thus resulting in lack of coordination, poor communication, distorted perceptions and avoidable delays and wastage. Preparing a prototype conceptually might help in considering multiple perceptions that might impact a change. The presence of some ground level coordination will help handling uncertainties with confidence and conviction. 

The fourth step towards managing the change is celebrating the change itself. Though an individual or a group my ideate, draw a design, define a strategy and put in place some standard operating procedures the realities they encounter in the journey may sometimes make them diffident, discouraged and infuse a sense of self-defeat. To eliminate this and to get the individual or the group out of their shells, they should celebrate the change itself. This helps in creating a positive attitude and a sense of ownership towards the change. Reinforcing the ideation, it helps them to move towards the goal with better enthusiasm and a better cognitive construct. Celebrating the change helps rehearsing the change before it arrives. Acceptance of change becomes easy. It empowers an inclusive mind. 

As the individual or the group progress from ideation, design, participation and celebration of change, it would be necessary to engage in reflective action. Periodic reflection of the dynamics of change by a firm validation of the inputs and resources that drive the change will help in stabilising its dynamics. It helps in making a conscious negotiation with the results ahead. Further, it will help in diffusing the fear of the results of change and in repositioning oneself with the armoury needed to face the outcome. 

Remember “Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.” (Bertolt Brecht)