Dear ASTD Friends, Ever had a song stick in your head that you can’t get rid of it?  Sorry, but I’m about to share one of mine with you… The other day I heard Carly Simon’s, Anticipation, and it seems to have a hold on me still.   

We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway, yay
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasin' after some finer day

Carly Simon, Copyright (C) 1971 by Quackenbush Music, Ltd. ASCAP 

This year has been one of tremendous changes, most resulting from the economy and its affect on organizations and individuals.  The fallout has been wide-spread and out of our hands:  many of us have lost our jobs, or seen our client base shrink, or had responsibilities added to our jobs in order to keep our companies lean.   All of which makes us anticipate the future with some trepidation. I think the song resonates with me because while I’m an optimist at heart, the reality is that it’s hard to think about “these days as the good old days.”  Yet, if we are to move on, we have to negotiate through our reality now and anticipate the future without fear.   Maybe we need to exercise a little change management in our personal and professional lives.  With that in mind, here’s some tips I thought would be of help. 

Ten Tips on Managing ChangeFrom http://www.allbusiness.com/, All Business, a D&B company 

1.       Don’t resist. While your gut reaction to change is often refusal, such a response is not productive. Change is inevitable, and you must learn to accept it. The quicker you do, the smoother your transition.

2.       Find the positive. Even the most difficult changes can produce positive results. Don’t waste time dwelling on what you don't like. Focus instead on the potential benefits and new opportunities the changes may bring, and your spirits will remain lighter throughout the transition.

3.       Create a list. You'll feel much better about change when you're able to manage its details and results. Make a list of what needs to be done to implement the change. The more prepared you are, the less change will overwhelm you.

4.       Familiarize quickly. Jump headfirst into change, whether it’s new ways of doing things, new offices, or new teams. Take time up front to learn a new program, take a tour of a new office facility, or introduce yourself to a new coworker. The more quickly you are acclimated to new things, the more quickly they will become familiar to you.

5.       Consider others. Change rarely affects one person; in most cases it affects many people at once. Change experienced as a group can become either a supportive, unifying experience or a negative, frustrating one. Consider what kind of group you want to be a part of, and then seek to make it so through your words and actions.

6.       Focus on one change at a time. While we can learn to accept and manage change, piling numerous changes up all at once can become too overwhelming, even for the most flexible of us. If there are many changes going on in your work life, this is probably not the best time to also start those home renovations. Managing change in one area of your life is easier when you have other areas that remain familiar and comforting.

7.       Exercise patience with yourself. When things change significantly, accept that you will not be able to master them all right away. If you're dealing with updated computer systems, a shakeup in business operations, or any other major business change, things will take time. Give yourself a break, and don’t add to your stress by trying to become a whiz at everything overnight.

8.       Ask productive questions. Ask yourself questions that will make a positive difference, such as, “How can I help facilitate the transition?” or “How will I need to adjust my daily schedule to accommodate this new process?” Avoid asking “whys,” and instead learn to move forward by asking questions that will help you become comfortable with the changes.

9.       Take control. Change is stressful because it threatens a person’s sense of control. Don’t allow a powerless feeling to overwhelm you; face new challenges head-on. Focus on how you can make it work for you. You will feel empowered by your renewed sense of control when you stop allowing change to overcome you, and instead overcome change through hard work and steady determination.

10.    Don’t get too comfortable. While it's important to familiarize and adjust to change, it's fruitless to get so comfortable that you believe things will not change again. Adjust, but do so with the knowledge that nothing lasts forever, and this too may give way to more change in the future.  

Managing change with peace and confidence is difficult, but entirely possible. Let’s equip ourselves to work through any change that life may throw at us, in both our professional and personal lives so that we may better help others. 

Here’s to anticipating the coming year as a finer day. 

Best regards,

Toby 

Anticipation

We can never know about the days to come
But we think about them anyway, yay
And I wonder if I'm really with you now
Or just chasin' after some finer day

Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'

And I tell you how easy it feels to be with you
And how right your arms feel around me
But I, I rehearsed those lines just late last night
When I was thinkin' about how right tonight might be

Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin' me late
Is keepin' me waitin'

And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet and I don't know nature's ways
So I'll try and see into your eyes right now
And stay right here 'cause these are the good old days

(These are the good old days)
And stay right here 'cause these are the good old days
(These are the good old days)
(These are the good old days)
(These are the good old days)
(These are.....the good old days) 

Carly Simon, Copyright (C) 1971 by Quackenbush Music, Ltd. ASCAP We can never know about the days to come