So, you think you can't change? Think again.

This one goes to all professionals avoiding and struggling with change.

Let me let you in on a secret – things are not going back the way they used to be! It's time to accept it. I'd recommend that you own it and even embrace it because change as you see it will not stop today or tomorrow. Driven by factors outside of our control, the unprecedented volume and velocity of change we've been experiencing will only continue at an accelerated pace. Your employees are not going back to the office – you need to learn how to manage, grow and develop them in a new setting. Your clients will no longer settle for the legacy approach of transactional services exchange. They are looking for a trustworthy advisor who will proactively offer ideas, advocate for them, and look for ways to create value even when the client doesn't think there are ways to create value. Waiting for things to return to "normal" is no longer an option, so please do yourself a favor and move on. 

For the past 20 + years, I've been working with professional services firms to design and implement a culture of growth, which has meant driving change at all levels. My kindle is stacked with books like "Change or Die," "The Catalyst," "Flying without a net," and many others authored by some of the best and brightest minds. They offer a ton of tested frameworks. I love Alan Deutschman's three step process of a "relate, reframe and repeat," and I have used it successfully many times, for example. I live change. My eight-year-old reminds me that things will not pause for me to prepare for change. The proverbial train keeps going, with or without me. And, same for everyone else, so why not get on it?! 

I also know how difficult change can be for people. And I don't blame them. In his book Alan Deutschman's references how extremely challenging change can be and offers an example that often even when people have the option to change and prevent death, they still struggle. We are talking about change or die – it’s that difficult. Talk about professionals with multiple advanced degrees, especially if they've been successful in the past. Why would they consider change? I can see that, can you? Past success, however, is in no way an indicator of future one, specifically when facts and circumstances change. The universal law of survival is more prevalent today than ever – the human who can adapt, evolve, upskill the fastest are the ones who will grow and succeed. 

So, what do you do about it? To get unstuck, I'd think of it as a long-distance run, not a sprint, and approach it accordingly. Start with your responsibility. Accept that things are going to change and what's today will be different tomorrow, and you need to reframe your thinking. Please acknowledge that you may need help managing this process. Like I suggest above, there’s a ton of great thought leadership to challenge and support you. Carol Dweck’s “Mindset” is a great way to start the process. Other help may come in different shapes and sizes: a team to discuss and support one another, a mentor that's there to listen and provide feedback – find what works for you. All of this calls for reskilling. Some may be technical skills, and some may be soft ones like communication, collaboration, etc. Set goals, and work on them, taking small steps. Focus on learning. Don't get discouraged. There will be a time you fall back on the "old ways of thinking." Recognize that, and consider how else you can approach things. Challenge your assumptions constantly. Celebrate wins and the confidence that comes with them. Bring your team along. Model it for them and work through it together. Change is fun when we drive it as a team. If I can do it, you can too. As we launch into 2022, in place of new resolutions, invest in the one thing that will make you successful in both the short and long-term – develop capacity to change. 

In the next post of this series, I’ll talk about how organizations can support this endeavor.