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July 16, 2020,
Give me some time to think about it.
Nice.
That is what you would like to say.
That’s a luxury to have when it comes to standing in the intersection of forced change. More and more, we don’t have time to consider how we are going to react to the long-term change.
We just have to change.
Now.
Rose is a friend in our circle. Here is her story about a major change that came into her life.
At the large company that she worked for, they were going through a major work space renovation. As the Head Manager indicated, “They would have new digs”.
Sounded promising. Exciting even.
She went home that day. It was a Friday.
Apparently the construction staff and cubicle restructurers worked around the clock over the weekend. When Rose came back into the office on Monday and began to walk by her co-worker’s desks, they appeared more sleek and expansive than previously. They took up the same amount of floor space yet the work space was more worker friendly. More professional looking.
Rose was excited to see what her new work space would look like.
When she finally arrived, her jaw almost hit the floor. It fell so hard it could have punched a hole in the carpet. She was shocked. Devastated.
Her workspace was clearly smaller.
Much smaller. Tinier. Tiniest. Itty bitty.
Worse, they moved her into an area of employees who were entry level with side by side small cubicles so tiny that if someone burped, you would have to comb your hair again.
She sat down. Emotions swirled.
Rose was embarrassed.
Humiliated was more like it.
It dawned on her what management had thought about her all along.
A change had been forced upon her that she didn’t like and it was instant. No time to consider. She was there.
Rose is resilient though. Soon we will tell you how she reacted to that forced change.
So, what made Rose’s change harder than normal?
Initially, one might say that because the change upon Rose was forced and she didn’t have a say in the matter made it harder.
That is true but that was only a minimal part of it.
What was really most painful about it?
The most painful aspect of the change is that the downsizing of her workspace only happened to her.
That’s what hurt the most. That’s why she felt so embarrassed.
The entry level workers always had that lousy work space. They were used to it and the rest of the staff came to observe that as well.
Rose was in a gray area. Her job was project oriented so she really didn’t have a particular classification. What really bothered her was since she didn’t fit into one specific group, this gets simple; her work space could have been made larger or kept the same. It’s not like making her space larger would have offended another employee with her job title.
There weren’t any other employees with her job title.
Therefore, what bothered Rose the most was that the forced changed only happened to her.
It came across as personal.
Let’s set aside Rose’s situation for a minute.
It appears as human beings we accept forced change better if it happens to a large group of people as opposed to only us.
Like a global virus.
The recent pandemic is a perfect example of that.
If you were told that you were the only one who had to shelter in, get furloughed, wear a mask and profusely wash your hands while you had to stand at least six feet away from people, how would you feel about that?
By the look on your face we can tell.
We would feel the same way.
Since virtually everyone in the entire world has had the same restrictions placed upon them, this forced change is still challenging but much easier to personally accept. Even foster a feeling of global comradery.
We’re all in this together (cough).
The comfort in group change is that it is not personal and most important, it is not your fault. None of us could have stopped the leap of a virus from an animal into a human.
Another aspect to forced group change is that, unless you are called upon, others in leadership positions have the responsibility to come up with a plan and have to make decisions to effectively address group forced change.
You don’t have to.
Are you relieved?
So having said that, since the change was forced upon Rose only, what does that tell you in terms of responsibility?
It was Rose’s responsibility to accept the forced changed or do something about it.
Depending upon your personality that forced change position can feel empowering or leave you feeling helpless.
Rose is not a helpless person or a victim. Few in our circle are.
We can learn something from how Rose decided to respond.
First, since she wasn’t quite sure what to do or how to react she did the wisest thing.
She exercised self-control and did nothing.
Rose then went home, discussed her situation with friends over dinner at a sit down restaurant, received numerous thoughts and ideas but internally knew that the ball was in her court and primarily she would have to decide how to respond.
Time for analysis.
Did she feel the entire management thought little of her?
No, otherwise she wouldn’t be on Special Projects.
Was it possible that one female manager in particular didn’t like her and orchestrated that forced changed? Very possible. Rose was young and extremely good looking. Her female manager was not described that way by others.
That provided her with some leverage.
It was time to play a game of chicken.
When Rose came into the office she politely requested to meet with the female manager through an email.
Why in writing?
Evidence.
Don’t do it verbally or she can say you were rude, belligerent or insubordinate.
When the two met, Rose asked to keep the door open as there were other employees nearby. Why?
Potential witnesses.
She even asked one of the male employees that she was comfortable with to keep his ear peeled to the office opening.
Rose basically let the manager know that the space was too small for Special Projects and she needed more room. If no more room was available than she would have to leave Special Projects and go back to an entry level position.
The female manager indicted that if that was how Rose felt, then that was up to her.
Rose knew that she was bluffing.
The upper management knew that Rose was good at Special Projects and truthfully, no one in the past excelled at it like she did. If Rose departs, now they have to find someone else who can do her gray area creative and publicly visual important job and that wasn’t going to be easy.
Her female manager knew that too.
She never brought it to upper management.
When Rose came in the next day, she was moved to a larger space.
Very true story.
Forced changed is rarely easy.
If it is forced upon a large group, then you can take solace that there was nothing that you personally did to make it occur and it wasn’t personal. Everyone is in the same boat.
Yes, were all in this together will be the rallying cry.
However, if forced change is isolated to you only, who has the responsibility to exercise self-control, consider all of the facts and data, analyze the information and come up with a plan of action as to how to respond?
That’s right, you.
Without being a victim.
With no excuses.
Above all, without talking off the cuff and losing self-control.
In this life journey, forced change is inevitable.
Don’t be afraid.
Feel empowered.
You can do it.
~ ~ ~
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