Supporting leaders to understand the impact of workplace change

Many of you reading this would have been at one time or another in your career been impacted by organisational change. Here I am thinking restructure, acquisition or perhaps just a change to how the organisational has chosen to respond to the pandemic.

Surrounded by certainties and the ‘knowns’ is quite a comfortable place for many. Our brains love the predictability of living inside that bubble, where what we say or do (our actions) doesn’t create unpredictable outcomes for others.

Why we might prefer to stick to comfort

Why leaving the predictability bubble can feel uncomfortable.

We worry about risks. Change is, by nature, unsettling because our brains sometimes interpret it as a threat. Predictability, however, keeps us safe. (I’ve taken this route before and it was safe, so I’ll do it again.) While we don’t typically have to fear our day to day commute anymore, stepping out of our comfort zones—actively inviting and seeking out different perspectives—can activate that same brain defence mechanism. We look at a new path, and our unconscious minds say, 'No I’ll reject that in favour of what I think and know! '

Stepping out of the known into the unknown can feel a lot like moving to a foreign country but you didn’t study up on the language or culture. Inside the bubble, we know the answers. Outside...the questions are different. Appearing to not know the answer can make us feel really uncomfortable, so avoiding this often feels better.

An insight

Our own perspectives are often what we need to examine in these situations. If we all stay locked up tight in our own personal comfort bubbles, we’ll never get the benefit of understanding the people who don’t live inside our comfort zones with us. Here are some suggestions at how to get better and navigating discomfort:

• Embrace the feeling. Accept it for what it is. It might feel strange to talk about topics that we may not have much experience in or that we are challenged by. The good news is, if you continue to move forward and engage, you might find you begin to welcome these conversations.

• Work on self-awareness. We can’t help but view the world through our own personal lens. It’s how our brains work. Unfortunately, that lens can also skew our perception of the world beyond our bubble. So make an effort to understand your specific lens and how it might colour your perspective of things.

• Its contributing to your growth at the end of the day. Change can be intimidating, but growth is a point of pride. So, reframe your thinking from one of risk to one of reward, because with these conversations, there’s a 100 percent chance that you’ll learn something.

• Bring your C game. When we are faced with a difficult conversation come at it with: courage, connection, and compassion.