Change and Growth
Your ability to change and adapt is directly tied to how you feel about yourself and how secure you are with your own abilities. In this fast-paced, ever-changing world of technology, change occurs so rapidly that you scarcely have time to learn one thing before it is outdated and the world has moved on.
Employers are looking for people who are not afraid to change, grow, learn, and take risks. Employers are looking for people who have the courage to get up and get on. This attitude has a direct link to how secure you feel about yourself.
Your professional life can be hampered or accentuated by your belief in your abilities to change and grow. If an employer sees you as a person who adapts well, is accustomed to growth and new challenges, and as a person who is willing to help others grow and change, your possibilities for promotion, raises, and additional responsibilities can be increased.
It Takes Courage
Change is never easy. Even good or positive change can be difficult and trying. The hardest part about change is that when change occurs, everyone returns to the bottom of the ladder — and no one likes to be at the bottom.
Take as an example the case of John, whose company recently installed a new computer database. John had been working on the old database for ten years. Jane was recently hired and works with John. John has more to lose with this change because he has more invested in the old system. He has farther to “fall” than Jane.
At the beginning of the day, John is ahead of Jane in terms of seniority, experience, and time spent with the old system. At the end of the day, John and Jane are in the same place; they are working on a system that is one day old and their experience with the system is one day old. Change takes you to the beginning.
“The first step toward change is acceptance. Once you accept yourself, you open the door to change. That's all you have to do. Change is not something you do, it's something you allow.”
— Will Garcia
Getting Secure on Unfamiliar Ground
In your quest to become more comfortable with change, keep the following tips in mind:
Ask for help and assistance.
Become a part of the change.
Think about the end result.
Look at the change as a growth and learning possibility.
Keep the lines of communication open.
Keep an open mind toward the change and the people involved.
Ditch the “I can't,” “Let someone else do it” attitudes.
