How to facilitate change and transformations I

Transitions - the human aspects of change

Photo by Ross Findon on Unsplash

We live in a constantly changing world, and the frequency and intensity of the changes we experience are steadily increasing. Changes are a precondition for all development, and our ability to implement and adjust to them is the basics for the stage of development we have reached today, and for our continued development.

Human beings have an unique ability to adjust to change, and this enables us to tackle and force through the changes necessary for progress. Yet it requires a mental effort on our part every time we meet important changes in our lives: we must adjust to them, learn from them and be able to handle the thoughts and feelings connected to them.

Change is inevitable. Change is constant. -Benjamin Disraeli

This mental adjustment process is called a transition. A transition takes its course whether the change it brings about is something we have chosen ourselves or something which has been imposed on us, whether it is desirable or undesirable. Each of us will react to the same change individually, but if the change is important to us, we will experience a transition whether or not we are looking forward to it.

Transitions in our working lives can have a negative influence on our motivation and effectiveness. There is always a certain degree of insecurity connected with leaving what is familiar and replacing it with something new, and the mental energy we would normally devote to our tasks is instead used on the transition.

Transitions may also have a positive influence on our motivation and effectiveness because they can offer us an opportunity to use and develop our abilities and because the process of adjustment we must undergo can also be a source of excitement, curiosity and learning.

An insight into transitions can help us to better manage the transitions in our working lives so that we get through the changes more rapidly and with less friction. Understanding and being capable of handling our reactions increases the speed of the transition process, and this heightens the degree to which we can accept a given change.

In brief, the ability to understand and manage transitions is imperative if we are to enjoy satisfying, efficient working lives when we encounter changes.

There is an increasing demand for managers to be able to implement changes. This increased demand is due to the accelerated paced at which markets and changing political climates alter the conditions to which business and organisations are subject.

Managers and organizations that are aware of the human aspects of handling changes are often more satisfied with the result of the changes they undergo.

The ability to manage transitions is decisive in the modern labour market