Are You Change-Averse or Change-Ready?
One of the most common unconscious mindsets is that “change is temporary,” but when you see something as temporary, you tend to cope with it instead of accepting and embracing it.
The reality is that change is a constant, and you’ll need to navigate it often in your career. If we don’t learn how to accept, embrace, and work through our discomfort in unfamiliar situations, we will inevitably find it difficult to progress in the rapidly evolving world of work.
Authors Kathryn Clubb and Jeni Fan share in an HRB article the common change-averse mindsets. They believe that by consciously examining how we approach change, we can adopt strategies to move toward a more change-ready mindset, and welcome change as an opportunity.
The three change averse mindsets are called receivers, resistors, and controllers. Receivers see change as something that happens to them that shakes up their sense of control. Resistors push back against change, falsely hoping it might go away. Controllers find change overwhelming and isolating.
Change-Averse Mindsets: The Receivers
Signs you’re a “receiver” – you wait for direction from others before moving forward; you escalate decisions, assuming they’re “above my pay grade”; or, you accept decisions (even when you don’t think they will work) to avoid questioning your boss.
To shift to a change-ready mindset if you are a receiver, do the following: (1) Figure out an action you can take that is consistent with the change and valuable in the short term. (2) Generate possible solutions before you take any problem to your boss. (3) Back up any reservations you have about a decision with data or perspectives that might not have been known or included during the original discussion.
Change-Averse Mindsets: Resistors
Signs you’re a “resistor” – you bring up reasons that something cannot be done based on precedent or history; you agree to a stated commitment, and then find reasons not to execute on it later; or, you poke holes in plans as a means of avoiding or stalling action.
To shift to a change-ready mindset if you are a resistor, do the following: (1) Explore how the solution is different from what happened in the past, (2) Be informed by the past — but not captured by it, (3) Raise your reservations at the appropriate time. Participate in the debate to get to a better solution. (3) Ask questions that improve and encourage the solution rather than shut it down.
Change-Averse Mindsets: Controllers
Signs you’re a “controller” – you seek information that supports your own views or reservations; you prefer getting detailed instructions on what to do instead of inquiring about what has been tried already and generating a brand new plan; or, you discount obstacles raised by others to stick to the plan.
To shift to a change-ready mindset if you are a controller, do the following: (1) Discuss your idea or solution with a diverse group of colleagues to gain perspective and improve on the idea. (2) Rather than just sharing your expertise or what you would do in the situation, ask what is been already tried.
Moving to a Change-Ready Mindset
Almost everyone has a predominant relationship to change that will drive their thoughts and actions, but different situations also bring out different responses. Change-ready people look at changes both big and small as opportunities for personal development, and “failed” experiments as a rich source of learning and growth. Similarly, they look for ways to break out of old ways of thinking, stay curious, and challenge the status quo.
