5 Tips for Dealing with Change

Dr. Ryan Giffen

We all get used to our daily routines at work. Although it can be tedious at times, doing the same tasks day after day helps keep us on track. Even the smallest change in our routine can often throw us off, causing you to not perform your job as well as you usually do. Dealing with change can be tough for people. 

Dealing with Change in the Workplace 

With most industries, change in the workplace is inevitable. So, teaching your workers how to adapt to these changes in a positive manner can be very useful.  Here are five ways you can help your workers adjust to routine changes and keep your profits on the rise.

Be Prepared for Several Outcomes

You never know what the future holds. So, the best way to adjust to workplace changes is to stop trying to guess the outcome. When taking on a new challenge at work, you may think you know what the aftermath will be. But it’s not always that simple. By preparing for more than one outcome, you can take the next steps with confidence. This will help you find the best possible result for the situation.

Ignore Your Limbic System

Our limbic system responds to any type of uncertainty with a knee-jerk reaction. This often leads to bad decisions caused by our own fears. Changes in routine can spark fear in even the most confident people. If you are good at dealing with changes or uncertainty in the workplace, you can put a stop to this fear before it starts. By ignoring these knee-jerk reactions, you can become a more rational decision-maker.

Stop Worrying About Perfection

If you agonize over every mistake you have made, dealing with change in your work routine can be a huge problem. When taking on new tasks, we often want to strive for perfection. Especially if we want to impress our bosses and let them know we can take on any challenge. But if you worry about every little thing, you are making these new changes more difficult for yourself. Once you realize that no one can be perfect all the time, it will be easier to face the challenges ahead of you each day.

Focus More on People and Less on the Process

With mathematics, using processes to solve equations can be successful. But an equation can only do so much. It is the same with work processes. Having a plan in place for your work duties can be effective, but it is not always rational. It’s important to remember that the people who are behind all the processes are what matters most. Without those people, you would never complete your projects. Dealing with change can be difficult for everyone. So be patient with the people on your team as you all adjust to the new routine.

Understand Your Limits

We have already discussed the importance of realizing you are only human and make mistakes. It’s equally important to realize that we all have our limits and deserve a break. This is a very important part of leadership training in the workplace. Once you understand what you are capable of doing, and what you aren’t, you can start delegating some responsibilities to others. Find people who are more capable of performing the task and everyone will be happy.

About Dr. Ryan Giffen

With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Ryan Giffen is an expert in human relations and business culture. His career began in hospitality, leading operations and human resource departments for Fortune 500 companies and the like. Not long after, Ryan found his passion for teaching and consulting. He earned a Ph.D. in Hospitality Management with a Human Resources focus from Iowa State University and now works as an assistant professor at California State University, Long Beach. For over a decade, he continues to research and speak on organizational culture, relationship intelligence, and leadership effectiveness. Ryan is also the founder of Inospire, a company helping bosses and employees build stronger relationships with one another.  Lastly, Dr. Giffen is producer and host of the Corporate Shadow Podcast. a show helping everyday employees overcome workplace nonsense.