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Coping With Change: Coping With Change: Effective StrategiesEffective StrategiesBy Carol Levey & Neil Fjellestad

I.T. Partners

National Apartment AssociationEducational Conference 2000


What We Intellectually Accept What We Intellectually Accept About the Concept of Change.About the Concept of Change.

• Change is a constant.• Change can be positive or negative.• Some changes are self-directed, while

others are forced upon us.• We can benefit from change.


Change Is a Direct Challenge Change Is a Direct Challenge to Our Emotional Needsto Our Emotional Needs

Our need to trustOur need to have choicesOur need to feel in control


Words That Describe Thoughts and Words That Describe Thoughts and Feelings About the Word Change.Feelings About the Word Change.

Fear Uncertainty Anticipation Confused Powerless Happy Numb “Wait and see” Excited

Opportunity Angry “Whatever” Optimistic Panic Anxiety Motivated Sad


The “Change” ReactionThe “Change” Reaction

P erf orm an ceR esu lts

B eh aviora lE f f ects

T h ou gh ts an dF eelin gs


Thoughts and Feelings Thoughts and Feelings Affect BehaviorAffect Behavior

Uncertainty Fear Confusion Powerless Numb “Wait and see” Angry “Whatever” Panic Anxiety Sad


Behavior AffectsBehavior Affects Performance Results Performance Results

Self-consciousness Isolated Preoccupied Aggressive Passive Detached Obsessed Immobilized


Performance ResultsPerformance Results

Productivity slides Communication

breaks down Creativity is stifled Team loses focus Employee turnover Resident turnover


Anticipating and Embracing Anticipating and Embracing Change Requires:Change Requires:

Challenging our thoughts and feelingsNeutralizing negative behaviors Accentuating positive performance


The author C. Leslie Charles, in her very The author C. Leslie Charles, in her very readable best seller “Why is Everyone So readable best seller “Why is Everyone So Cranky?” documents ten inescapable Cranky?” documents ten inescapable influences of our modern society over influences of our modern society over the last 50 years that have resulted in the last 50 years that have resulted in cultural crankiness. One of these cultural crankiness. One of these influences is “change.”influences is “change.”


Here is a quiz that is designed to determine how much each of us has been infected by a cranky response to change.

Score one point for every yes and 0 for every no. Count a sometimes as a yes.


The Cranky QuizThe Cranky Quiz

1. Do you find change bothersome, especially when you feel you have no control or choice in the situation?

2. Do constant, everyday changes contribute to your stress level?

3. Are you irritated by today’s security systems, surveillance cameras, sign-in logs, ID verification and other protective measures?


4. Are you less likely to be thrilled, amused, or shocked than you once were?

5. After a disagreement do you wait for the other person to make the first move before you’re willing to talk about it?

6. Do issues from your past sometimes interfere with your present peace of mind?

7. Do you think there’s too much emphasis on affirmative action, cultural diversity, and the rights of minorities or protected groups?


8. When required to attend “soft skills” training at work (communication, team building, stress management) do you resent the time away from your job?

9. Do you feel that your beliefs, values, or political beliefs are truly the way that things should be?

10. When given criticism or feedback about your behavior do you feel compelled to justify or defend your actions?


Scoring the Cranky QuizScoring the Cranky Quiz

3 points or less (Cool) means you’re in good shape.

4 to 7 points (Warm) indicates a need to slow down.

8 to 10 points (Hot!) indicates a raging cranky infection.


Honest evaluation in this area can give us the motivation to challenge our natural thoughts and feelings. The longer we live the more change we will experience. A negative attitude won’t stop change –

it only stops us from interpreting change as a gateway to insight, growth and success.


Here are Some Techniques to Here are Some Techniques to Challenge our Perspective.Challenge our Perspective.

1. Practice change by regularly operating outside your comfort zone.

2. Change a habit or ritual.

3. Create new pathways in your brain by teaching yourself a new skill.


TechniquesTechniques

4. Explore your resistance to change and defensiveness to preserve the status quo. What’s so bad about change? What’s so good about the “way it’s been?”

5. Learning and change go hand-in-hand. What does this change allow me to learn?

6. Gather feedback from others who understand and care about you and/or the change.


Techniques to Neutralize Techniques to Neutralize Negative BehaviorNegative Behavior

1. Remember the changes that you’ve already experienced in your life.

2. Remember your initial resistance to past changes that have turned out to be beneficial.


TechniquesTechniques3. Expectations and assumptions must be founded on

clear communication of correct information. More questions and fewer conclusions will help. Be assertive and responsive.

4. Put this change into perspective. Does this change require you to compromise a core value? Are you an intended victim in this change?

5. Does this change require you to improve? In what ways? Change can often kick start a desired improvement.


Techniques to accentuate Techniques to accentuate positive performance resultspositive performance results

1. Get feedback from those who advocate the change.

a) What positive performance results do they envision?

b) Why do they believe this can be the result?

c) How do they see it unfolding?

d) What are the pitfalls?

2. Get their input on what your personal role is in the transition.

a) How can you help achieve the desired result?

b) How can you help avoid foreseen pitfalls?



3. Now explore what personal opportunities could exist due to the change. Are you prepared to take advantage? If not, what could you do during the change to prepare for personal opportunities?



4 Shape the transition to accomplish improvements that you envision.

5 Communicate your ideas so others feel your buy-in and willingness to contribute.

6 Better communication fosters better understanding and increases focus.


““Change leadership” skills Change leadership” skills required to help others adapt.required to help others adapt.


Skills required for Skills required for developing strategies:developing strategies:

Initiating an organizational changeMaximizing positive performance results in

a negative environmentCreating a synergistic environment that

anticipates opportunity and embraces required changes


Initiating an Organizational ChangeInitiating an Organizational Change

1. Utilize survey and focus group methods.

2. Anticipate and confront different perceptions of the change.


Leadership SkillsLeadership Skills

3. Carefully plan the announcement.3. Carefully plan the announcement.a)a) Clarify what, when, where, how and whyClarify what, when, where, how and whyb)b) Identify and address specific concernsIdentify and address specific concernsc)c) Be open to questions and honest about what you Be open to questions and honest about what you

don’t know.don’t know.4.4. Set up systems for progress reports.Set up systems for progress reports.a)a) Ask for specific concerns that you can clarify in Ask for specific concerns that you can clarify in

these reports. these reports. b)b) Write them down.Write them down.


Leadership SkillsLeadership Skills5. Immediately follow-up the announcement.5. Immediately follow-up the announcement.a)a) SummarizeSummarizeb)b) Keep the plan on track.Keep the plan on track.6. Clarify the performance results expected6. Clarify the performance results expectedduring the change.during the change.7. Praise interim milestones achieved.7. Praise interim milestones achieved.8. Highlight positive outcomes resulting from8. Highlight positive outcomes resulting from the change.the change.


Maximizing Positive Maximizing Positive Performance Results in a Performance Results in a

Negative EnvironmentNegative Environment

1. Remember that change can bring out the best or the worst in a leader. Everyone is watching to see which it will be.

2. Maintain open communication.

3. Use individual coaching sessions to listen.

4. Help team members with special coping challenges.


Leadership SkillsLeadership Skills5. Be empathetic to individual points of view,5. Be empathetic to individual points of view,but clear about performance expectations.but clear about performance expectations.6. Utilize consensus management style:6. Utilize consensus management style: a) Encourage and validate all opinionsb) Emphasize positivesc) How serious are the negatives?d) Keep summarizing areas of agreemente) Restate criticism in a positive wayf) Ask for positive remarks from negative peopleg) Set example by not defending your ideas


Creating a Synergistic EnvironmentCreating a Synergistic Environment

1. Maintain objectivity which allows creativity2. Encourage an assertive-responsive

communication style3. Relationships are more important than ideas4. During disagreements focus on the issue not the

person5. Utilize meetings for group problem solving6. Create other leaders by sharing your experience

with on-going coaching


The “Change” ReactionThe “Change” Reaction

P erf orm an ceR esu lts

B eh aviora lE f f ects

T h ou gh ts an dF eelin gs


Thoughts and Feelings Thoughts and Feelings Affect BehaviorAffect Behavior

Anticipation Happiness Opportunity Optimistic Motivated Excited


Behavior Affects Behavior Affects Performance ResultsPerformance Results

Self-confidenceSocialFocusedAssertiveResponsiveActuated


Performance ResultsPerformance Results

Productivity increases Communication

improves Creativity is

stimulated Team is focused Employee retention Resident retention


Acknowledgements & Acknowledgements & Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources

1. Flight of the Buffalo. Belasco, James A. and Ralph C. Stayer. Warner Books 1993

2. Why is Everyone So Cranky. Charles, C. Leslie. Hyperion 1999.

3. Principle-Centered Leadership. Covey, Stephen R. Summit Books 1991

4. Management Challenges for the 21st Century. Drucker, Peter F. Harper Business Press 1999


Acknowledgements &Acknowledgements &Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources

Carol Levey & Neil Fjellestad Carol Levey & Neil Fjellestad I.T. PartnersI.T. Partners

www.itpartnersonline.comwww.itpartnersonline.com

5. Keys to Success. Hill, Napoleon. Plume Books 1997

6. The 10 Natural Laws of Sucessful Time and Life Management. Smith, Hyrum W. Warner Books 1994

7. The Leadership Engine. Tichy, Noel M. Harper Business Press 1997

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