It’s not just your change
You have been through a significant change. You’ve lost your job, you’ve lost your team, you’ve lost your project….. Whichever loss it is, you’re having to deal with it.
But remember, whatever you’re going through, your family and the people close to you are going through this with you. You’ll need to help them too.
This global pandemic has triggered lots of changes, maybe even a few layers of change we haven’t even yet realised. And with all these changes come emotional reactions. It doesn’t matter whether a change is imposed or chosen, every human being will go through the stages in the change curve. It may be quick or slow, soft or deep, but one thing is sure, we all need to adapt to the “new normal”, maybe even stay open to a “next normal”, or several of those and the journey through the change curve is inevitable.
A few tips to keep in mind when navigating change with others:
- Look after yourself first. Just like on an aircraft, when the cabin pressure changes and you need to put on oxygen masks, you need to put on your own before helping others to put on theirs.
Look out for your own physical, emotional and psychological health, make sure you are in good shape to help other people adapt to the change you are going through. - Get to know the change curve (read our blog post on “Navigating the emotions of Change”). Be aware of the different phases you may go through. Use this knowledge to anticipate and mitigate the turbulence, for yourself and for your family and friends.
- Don’t ignore the signs. You may not all go through the stages in the change curve at the same pace, while you may have moved on your spouse may still be in denial.
As a family, it is important to go at the speed of the slowest transition. Leave nobody behind. - Communicate. Talk frequently. Listen and be supportive. This is what will help everyone move through the stages. Grieve together. Talk about what you’ve lost, what you’ll miss.
Plan together – one way to get past the anger and frustration of having no control over a change can be focusing on building the next steps. Explore options, dream wildly.