I teach a module on ‘Managing Change’ at a local university. I talk about the issues of dealing with change at the individual, team and organisation level. Over the past few months, the Covid19 pandemic has imposed radical changes on all of us: we’ve had to quickly adapt to new ways of working and living, workloads have massively increased or decreased, and the uncertainty and fear are increasing stress and anxiety levels.
Knowing about change doesn’t necessarily mean I can handle it any better that others, and I’ve certainly had my ups and downs. But the knowledge does allow me to look back and explain what’s happening, both in myself and in the organisation I’m working in, and perhaps be a bit kinder on myself when I realise that these reactions are perfectly normal and human.
And it also gives me a good understanding of what’s helpful and what’s not when it comes to working with and managing people in organisations going through change. I’ve observed people in leadership positions follow best practice and do things really well. I’ve also seen people show a lack of understanding and empathy, leading to really poor behaviour, making the situation even more difficult and stressful for others.
I find myself getting frustrated. I really wish more people knew some of this stuff and could put it into practice! So in the spirit of getting better people managers – those who understand how humans work when going through change – I’m going to write a series of blog posts covering some of the key ideas, research, tools and models that I cover in the module and that might be useful in these times.
Stay safe.