© carole@questersdaretchange.com; www.questersdaretochange.oom

https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/15r-Life/dp/08408963

 Is your company in flux? Do you fear losing your job, status, security?  Are you afraid of a poor boss, higher workload? Do you manage change well?

Questers who adapt to change:

• Are self-reliant, resilient, flexible
• Like learning, challenge
• Value growth over security
• Adapt quickly to new situations
• Like trying new things
• Handle stress well.

People who are less adaptable:

• Like stability, structure, predictability
• Are cautious, dislike fast-paced environments
• Dislike variety
• Are bothered when something interrupts routine
• Are frustrated with time pressures
• Do things the same way.

 Everyone can learn to strengthen Quester traits

1. Accept and come to terms with change. Understand the five emotional stages of the change process: shock, denial and disbelief; fear and anxiety; resistance, anger and blame; acceptance and exploration; and commitment to action.

Express feelings. Discuss your concerns, fears and plans with a trusted friend. Dispel anger. Write down negative thoughts and feelings indicating why you feel this way. Note your explanations. When they’re pessimistic, dispute them. Use evidence, alternatives, implications and usefulness as guides.

 Identify and overcome obstacles. Clarify what you fear losing. Barriers could include fear of failing in a new job or guilt that change might create family hardships. Describe ways to minimize these.  

2. Empower yourself. Although you can’t control outcomes of external events, you can control your attitudes and beliefs. View change as a growth opportunity.

Change perceptions. A major stressor is how you see threats to your well-being, and the perception you can’t cope, don’t have options. Since your perceptual bias is learned, it can be unlearned. Believe you’ll succeed. 

Identify opportunities created by change. Focus on improvements resulting from change. Find ways to contribute to the team/department.

– T ke responsibility for learning.  Make the job a learning laboratory. Challenge yourself. Learn and experiment with something new, rather than previously mastered tasks. Acquire knowledge/skills in your field, but also expose yourself to information outside your specialty. Surround yourself with diverse stimuli.  Every day, do something to improve yourself.

– Maintain optimism. Reinforce the positive in yourself and others. Associate with positive people.  Expect good things. Watch your self-talk. Replace negative statements with positive ones. Emotionally believe you can control situations. Keep a diary of each day’s good experiences.

– Care for your mind, body, emotions and spirit. Schedule quiet times to think, reassess. Practice stress relievers such as deep breathing, exercise, meditation. Eat healthy, get sufficient sleep.

Choose productive attitudes and behaviors. Identify people, places, activities and conditions that both revitalize and drain you.  Each month, pursue one revitalizing activity and eliminate one depleting activity.

– Build confidence. Acknowledge your accomplishments. Post a list of achievements and positive personality characteristics where you can read it daily. Don’t change for others, or compare yourself with others. Don’t dwell on past mistakes. State affirmations daily.

–  Enhance creativity. Relax. Brainstorm ways to manage specific changes. Change routines; for example, write with your non-dominant hand.   Keep your sense of humor. Create a journal of cartoons depicting workplace humor.  Look for humor in negative experiences.  Play.

Perceive patterns, and make connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, objects or events. View commonplace things in new ways.  Take advantage of unexpected opportunities.

–  Develop the will to risk.  Instead of worrying about failure, think about missed opportunities if you don’t try. Don’t fear mistakes. Ask: “What’s the worst that could happen?” Reduce negative outcomes

Live in the present. Let go of attachments. The more attached you are to something, the greater the fear of losing it.

3. Manage your own career. Clarify your goal and commit to achieving it. Base it on your mission, needs and talents. When possible, create new opportunities. Today’s organizations need your creativity to maintain a competitive edge. Convey what you can contribute to superiors to demonstrate a win/win situation

Explore ways to creatively redesign your job. Participate in cross-functional teams to get exposure to new functional areas and enrich your position. Recognize other company positions. Consider downward, lateral, regional moves. Anticipate changes. Read newsletters. Network.

Prepare for, and welcome the unexpected. You can choose to change your attitudes and situation, or you can complain. Use your power!

Questers Dare to Change Your Job and Life, by Dr. Carole Kanchier, provides additional tips for flowing with change.

https://www.amazon.com/Questers-Dare-Change-Your-Life/dp/15r-Life/dp/08408963   Chapter 1, Questers Dare to Change, is available from Dr. Kanchier’s web site: www.questersdaretochange.com

The audio digital version available: https://www.audible.com/pd/Questers-Dare-to-Change-Your-Job-and-Life-Audiobook/B07VZNKGJF?asin=B07VZNKGJF&ipRedirectOverride=true&overrideBaseCountry=true&pf_rd_p=34883c04-32e5-4474-a65d-0ba68f4635d3&pf_rd_r=TN801GRP49AWQSSYMDYC1

Author bio; Carole Kanchier, PhD, is an award winning author, newspaper/digital columnist, registered psychologist, coach.

Carole Kanchier informs, inspires, and challenges adults to realize potential. Her acclaimed book, Questers Dare to Change, encourages people to review views of career success, and strengthen Quester traits such as purpose, intuition, and resilience to succeed. Dr. Kanchier chaired the Career Change Committee, National Career Development Association, taught at University of California Berkeley and Santa Cruz, University of Alberta, and other  higher learning instiutions. Her columns have been syndicated by World Wide Media, CanWest Newswire and numerous print and digital publications.  She has been a guest on varied North American media broadcasts.