Accepting the Challenge of Change Leads to Rich Rewards!
Recently, I was invited to speak to a group of people who are in the midst of life change. They are looking for new jobs, thinking about developing their own businesses, or completely new careers.
Most of the time we are in the midst of some kind of change, either in our personal lives or in our work lives. Change is usually stressful; if you work to keep an open mind you will both manage the stress better and seize the opportunities that come your way.
I started out the talk with real life examples of people who reinvented themselves and what they say about how they did it. This was inspiring for everyone to hear.
The 3 most important things that all the people said about how they reinvented themselves
- They all got a coach, mentor or therapist and credit that with helping them to make transformative change;
- They were relentlessly optimistic;
- They believed in themselves.
I then discussed the three steps in the process of transition, according to William Bridges. (See the Leaders Library for the book Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change.) The first step in transition, according to Bridges, is ending or letting go. This is a step that is often neglected. We get thrown into change and we totally forget to appreciate where we have been. In this step we need to purposefully let go of things from the past that are going to hold us back from moving forward. For example, one might need to let go of the anger one feels for how their last job ended.
The second step of transition, is managing the “neutral zone.” I have heard it called “muddling”—I think that really captures the feeling one has in this second stage. In understanding this step it is important to remember that life feels chaotic and scary during change. When we discussed this step I helped the group understand the importance of having an open mindset and the role that optimism plays in resolving the neutral zone.
Finally, the third step is new beginnings. This of course is what everyone is hoping to achieve.
In these difficult economic times, many of us are looking for work or yearning to make a change. If you or a group you are a member of would benefit from learning about how to make transformative changes I would be happy to share my Transformation MOJO presentation. I’ve included a slideshow here to give you an idea about what I share in this presentation.
Please email me at info@lynnkjones.com for more information.
Appreciatively,
Lynn
p.s. I always am interested in what you think about these discussions. Please post your thoughts on the blog…your constructive criticism and support is appreciated!
Dr. Lynn K. Jones, Certified Personal and Executive Coach
Your Mojo Maven
http://LynnKJones.com
photo credit: renjith krishnan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net