Have you ever reacted to organizational change by rolling your eyes and quietly saying to yourself, “Here we go again”? Or by not so quietly telling others, “Haven’t we tried this before?”?
How to Embrace Change Using Emotional Intelligence
If you’re resisting something new, think about why.
December 31, 2018
Summary.
Changes at work can be emotionally intense. It often leads to burnout and puts into motion an insidious cycle that leads to even greater resistance to organizational change. Improving your adaptability, a critical emotional intelligence competency, is key to breaking this cycle. Next time your organization introduces a big change, consider these four emotional intelligence strategies to help you embrace the change rather than brace for it. Identify the source of your resistance. For example, if you’re resisting because you’re worried that the change will make you look incompetent, you can create a learning plan for the new skills you will need in order to be successful. Try to question the basis of your emotional response. They tend to often reflect our interpretations that we convince ourselves are true, while in actuality, our emotional responses are often seldom in line with reality. Also, own your part in the situation. A self-aware person reflects on how their attitudes and behaviors contribute to their experience of the change. Lastly, although it may feel bleak when you don’t agree with a new change, having a positive outlook can open us up to new possibilities, so try thinking optimistically about it.