I may sound like I am 400 years old, but I am not even close. Still, I remember when we had no email, texts, cell phones, Internet, or any of the rest of our daily “conveniences.”
We could leave work, leave my work behind, go home and be unreachable. Life was soooo much simpler then.
But it changed. The more it changed, the more it changed. And then things started changing faster and faster and…
The skills that used to last an average of 32 years after college now barely last at all, with the “half-life” of job skills degrading to as little as two years now, depending on the industry or specialty.
That means we are constantly changing.
It used to be that you could succeed in your career and think, “I have arrived!” But now there is nowhere to arrive to. You have to be insatiably curious on a journey of endless learning if you have any hope of remaining current and viable.
You may think your bosses are being demanded by always shaking things up, but the times are demanding. You can cling to the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” but that will not serve you. They will fix what isn’t broken, then fix it some more and keep fixing it until it is unrecognizable. Some changes will be “progress.” Others will be a joke.
But you can’t stand at the sidelines complaining about it. Employers see who embraces change and who runs from it. They need people who dive into it because they need change agents to figure out how to maximize the benefit of the opportunities afforded by new technology. Many leaders also feel the same stress that comes from too much happening too fast, but they have made peace with the fact that change is our reality.
You can find companies that are slow to change, but why would you? How secure is that?
So you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Here’s your mantra, “I dive into change, ready for anything and certain I can learn and master whatever is coming.”
Here are tips for dealing with change:
- The faster you accept, cope and adapt, the faster you can use the change to your advantage.
- Be positive. Even if you are scared, angry, or frustrated by the change, you’ve got to adapt. Don’t get branded as a resister. Know you’ll figure it out and make it work.
- Accept that change is constant, inevitable, and a way of life now.
- Give the change a chance. Open your mind.
- Grow with your team. Find others who also want to master the change, then figure it out together. No negativity.
- Understand that new challenges generally get easier every day. What’s hard for you now will be easy in time. Then there will be another change.
Fawn Germer is the best-selling author of nine books, including her timely new book, Coming Back! How to Win the Job You Want When You’ve Lost the Job You Need.
Visit fawngermer.com/giveaway for free downloads on “Recharge Your Career During Covid” and “Take the Next Step.”
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