Do You Revolt Against or Welcome Contagious Change?

Are you bracing for change or looking for ways to welcome it?

Whether the change is good or bad, the effects of something changing are contagious! If something changes and you revolt against it, even to the point of creating an uprising, others will follow. If something changes and you welcome it, even to the point of looking for a silver lining, others may wonder what you’re doing, but many others will follow and take on the same perspective. What do you do when things change?

In light of this topic, I’ll share a few quotations about change:

“When you’re through changing… You’re through.” Bruce Barton

“Change always comes bearing gifts.” Price Pritchett

And my personal favorite: “Change is inevitable… except from a vending machine!” Robert C. Gallagher, author of The Express, the Ernie Davis Story

Whether you are experiencing change now, bracing for impact from a change, or looking ahead and forward to a change, it’s bound to happen and how you respond to it will make all the difference, often even in the outcome. So when change is a brewin’, consider these options:

Ask yourself what good might come out of this change. What unexpected nice surprises may come up and into your experience when what you are looking at or dealing with goes through a metamorphosis?

This is more than just let it go and ride the wave speech, this is about really looking at what you are able to do about the change. If you can do something, do that. If you can’t, then well, yes, ride the wave, buckle up, hang on, and focus on the ride instead of consistently focusing on how much you don’t want to be on the ride. You’re on it, you might as well find a way to enjoy it or get off.

When you are in a Contagious Leadership capacity, you are likely responsible for how others deal with the change that might be taking place. Not only can shifting your focus to the needs of others serve as a realistic and helpful distraction, but it can help you maintain consistency with how you’re guiding them through it and what you are doing yourself. Remember last week’s Monday Moment on Those Who Can’t Do.. Don’t? This might be your opportunity to listen to some of your own platitudes about change management. 😀

Mind you, not all change is bad. Sometimes things change for the better and we welcome them. For example, we’ve had a major change in the online presence of Contagious Companies and boy oh boy did we welcome that change. In fact, take a look. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, it’s because well… things changed, but consider the options above and look for positives, enjoy the ride of exploration, and take note of how excited we are about it. Hehe! Excitement is contagious, too, ya know…

Stay Contagious! Monica