11 Great Ways to be Positive about Change


Look for the positives!

Seek them out - those little scary places that it's challenging to let yourself go to - the positives are genuinely scary, because they give you hope and it's hard to let go of all the fears you have right now - so hanging onto them is the easiest path!

So try letting yourself go, just for the heck of it!

Take that step back from being 'done to' and take the initiative. At work, at home or wherever, this can be a great time, if you let it. There are loads of ideas why. Here are eleven of my favourites...

  • Personal Growth
    Change gives us great moments for self-development and personal growth. It is in times where there is a lot going on, where we have to get out of our box to think, even when change is imposed, that we move forward.
  • Involving Others
    During change periods we can create relationships that are new - and we, as managers, have a great chance to bring others into our confidence and into our network.
  • Adventure
    There is something about change, large or small which creates 'something different' from our routine day. This is pretty cool really. We are being provided with stimulating mental exercise to make the best of things happening differently. It might not look that way, but change brings adventure!
  • Building it in
    Learning about big changes, means that we can closely observe why those changes are necessary. We have to make radical changes because we have strayed well off course. So as we learn, we can make provision to have some minor course corrections rather than completely the wrong destination.
  • Challenge
    In his great book, 'The Inner Game of Work', Timothy Gallwey talks about the fine balance between security and challenge being what gets people motivated. By creating new things to learn, to do, we stretch our people - and ourselves.
  • Opportunity Change brings new opportunity. For learning; for understanding ourselves better; for new perspectives; for different roles. These can be grasped personally or they can be dwelt on miserably. The better choice is to go for it!
  • Team Bonding
    Change exercises, big and small can be great to develop a team. Where there is the opportunity to work together, manager with their closest people there are often places, moments where the team spirit; the trust and the shared commitment - the 'Dunkirk spirit' even, enables future potential of a team to be loosened.
  • Honesty
    Where radical change proves necessary it enlightens those involved that where they are is not where they need to be. Carrying out a review of why serious change is necessary and seeking the real truth is very revealing. The icing on the cake for those involved in organisational change processes is to create a feedback loop that renders future major change unnecessary.
  • Choice
    Change is not truly necessary. Change is about choice. You have the choice whether to accept it positively or not. It is your choice and everyone has that - believe it or not. No-one is holding you down to prevent you getting away. Take personal responsibility for the choices you make.
  • Focus
    Change gives the opportunity for and usually gets really down to the gist of the issues that have precipitated the need. This is good. Your organisation is realising that things need to be different, for all sorts of reasons, but usually for the health of the organisation and that means you, usually. For some it may mean loss of role, status and even job - now what positive opportunity does that bring!
  • Passion
    And finally, we have the opportunity to review our own roles, not just in the workplace, but in life too. Are you passionate about your work - or are you just muddling through? Are new opportunities presented to you personally through change - within or without the place where you work today? What is your personal passion and how do you work towards making that how you spend every day of your life?

    Hey change can be fun, if you let it be. You life can be a straight line, and if you saw that one ER, what would it mean...

    Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com. (Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - it would be good if you could include a live link)

    ...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

    MORE RESOURCES:
    RELATED ARTICLES
    Having the Attitude I am the Greatest!
    While trying to ignore my teen daughters rap music a thought came to me. Whoever the rap artist was that she was listening to, is very positive about him self.
    Never Run Out of Altitude, Airspeed, and Ideas at the Same Time: Lessons From the Vietnam POWs
    Bosses can't control many things at work. In fact, they probably can't control most things, but they can control their own reactions to unfortunate events, and they can help their direct reports feel authority over their reactions to unpleasant and unexpected changes.
    Learning To Embrace Change
    The only constant is change. If theres one thing we can count on in our life it is that whatever is going on now, will change.
    How To Gain Confidence Quickly And Effortlessly When You Feel the World is Against You
    Have you ever felt the whole world was against you? No matter what you try, you just can't succeed, causing you to have a total lack of self-confidence. You may even feel that way now, but what I am about to share with you should pull you out of that place and into a mindset and feeling of total possibility and success to ensure you boost your self-confidence rapidly.
    Thanks For The Rejection!
    It sounds a little masochistic, but I actually appreciate being rejected. No, I don't needlessly relish the sting of reproach, or eagerly welcome scornful criticism, per se.
    10 Tips to Cope with Negative Emotions at Work
    It's a fact of life - if you want to succeed in business, you need to know how to interact and communicate effectively with your employees, business partners, vendors, prospects, and customers. As a small business owner, this might involve rapid shifting from one type of language to another.
    5 Tips on Turning a Negative into a Positive
    I thought this was fitting sense I just experienced a huge negative in my life and choose to focus on the positive in the situation. For instance, when I was unable to sign into this program to get to my list of subscribers, I could have taken it in the real negative manner and given up.
    Positive Mental Attitude
    Look at this glass on the table in front of you. Is it half-full or is it half-empty? Now, do you realize that it is entirely for you to decide what the answer to this question is going to be.
    Stream of Consciousness
    One thing that is important to realize about thought: one thought always leads to another. It is impossible to have one thought without having another one.
    Aging
    Aging is a matter of the mind.The years may creep upon us, and the seasons come and go, but we all have a choice how we age in our mind and heart.
    Magic Mirror Exercise
    Good morning I love you.This is a basic exercise, which is performed when you first see yourself in a mirror, for most people this is usually in the morning when we go and wash and groom ourselves.
    You Gotta Be Positive!
    Remember Des'ree? She had a great song out in 1994, entitled 'You Gotta Be'. It was one of the most uplifting, encouraging and energizing songs I'd ever heard.
    Change in the Workplace: Don't Fear It; Use It!
    Every day something changes at work: your products, your customers, your delivery schedules, your company's policies. Do these changes negatively affect your company and your sales? Why do you let them? These constant changes can cause you to lose focus and lose sales, or they can propel you into greater success.
    Penury Perpetuates Poverty
    So..
    Firewords: A Dangerous Necessity in Your Life?
    There are many stories of people injuring themselves, and others, with Firewords in the old wild days of entrepreneurship and it is usually passed off as the price that had to be paid in order to win.However, as time passes, there is a tendency to confuse reality with myth about how people rose to be so successful.
    How I Make And Save Thousands Of Dollars Using Only My Subconscious Mind-You Can Do The Same!
    Thousands of dollars will be yours, just by using your subconscious mind.You get a very good feeling when you make new money.
    Make a Personal Commitment to Change Your Life!
    So, is this really where you thought you'd be? You're 25, or 35, or even 50 or ?? and you're not doing the job you thought you'd be..
    Optimism, the Only Option for Success
    People with negative attitudes may wonder why they never achieve the degree of success they desire. It is a fact of life that if you want to succeed, you must be optimistic.
    Does Life Really Stink?
    One of my class fellows was really tensed, when asked the reason, he was really tensed over his future. It is a true fact that most of us despite a very good education remain uncertain of our future.
    Dealing with Criticism and Rejection
    Whether it's the other kids making fun of you at school, you just received a really harsh performance evaluation from your boss, you got turned down by the girl you asked out, or you didn't get the job you interviewed for, rejection and criticism hurts. I won't tell you not to take it personally, because it is personal.