Change is something nowadays that seems pretty continuous.
The following explains 4 Levels of change and for me personally, the 4th Level is my preference to strive for whenever I can, whether that change is positive or negative. – How do you handle and manage change situations?
- COPE – this is where we wait for things to go back to normal, to wait in anticipation that things are not going to change long term – we just need to ride it out.
- ADAPT – going with the flow and ‘riding it out’ becomes the norm, we just accept and go along with it believing we have little or no choice.
- EXPLOIT – we begin to search for the positive benefits that the changes may bring. Instead of focusing on the typical what are we going to ‘lose’, we begin to look for and act upon what we may ‘gain’ in the change.
- CREATE – we really help ourselves and/or the company we work for by searching for the positive benefits in earnest of the changed position. We capitalise on bringing about positive benefits.
The first 2 levels of COPING and ADAPTING are REACTIVE where we are giving away our power and not taking responsibility for the things that are happening to us and around us. A bit like the photograph supporting this text – we are maybe feeling helpless and at the mercy of the elements around us.
The 3rd and 4th Levels of EXPLOITING and CREATING are PRO-ACTIVE where we are taking responsibility and empowering ourselves to have IMPACT, positive impact on our situations.
THE 4TH LEVEL IS THE SUCCESS ZONE and to be strived for whenever we can.
Now I am not saying that the first levels are wrong – there will be times when it is appropriate to cope and adapt. In my experience what gets missed by individuals in the process of CHANGE taking place is the belief that there are NO CHOICES.
There are always choices, to choose deliberately to COPE at the moment and in the short term whilst we make up our minds what to do next is a decision – it is a judgement call. To stay there long term and just roll with things may not service us best.
USE THE FOUR LEVELS OF CHANGE AS A STRATEGY – ALL OF THE OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE TO US.