Are you as good at change as you think you are?

We can’t all be good at everything, right? Yet when it comes to change — how to do it, when to do it, why it’s needed — it seems the majority of people believe that change is something they excel at. In our work with hundreds of organizations and individuals, however, we’ve learned that this isn’t exactly the case. In fact, most people struggle to adapt to change successfully and in a way that allows change to bring about opportunity rather than disruption or despair.

Some of the things we routinely hear when meeting with first-time clients and businesses are: “Yes, change often fails for other companies, but we are different” or “We only hire people who are good at change, so it’s not a problem for our company.” The list of exceptions we hear from people in the midst of change could go on for miles, but the point is that each statement carries the same belief — people think they are good at change, even if they’re not.

The universal event of experiencing change is not what makes an individual or company unique, or even successful. What makes successful people and organizations stand out from the crowd is how they respond to change. It’s a fact — everyone goes through change. But it is each response and each reaction to the change that makes all the difference.

It’s been our observation that leaders, managers, individuals, and organizations all move through change in a predictable pattern. This pattern, once understood, can be used to simplify the approach to and process of change, as well as to significantly increase the success of change. For years we have watched this, studied this, and helped people and companies successfully move through changes.

Change is something we can become good at. It takes skills, practice, and commitment, but change can become a real advantage, in work and in life. Learn more about what we do and how we can help, here.