A Hefty Dose Of Change

Amy Wartham //

The last week has been bizarre, to say the least. One week ago, North Carolina had zero cases of COVID-19 and now there are 32. It’s strange to walk into a grocery store and see empty shelves, and I never thought I’d see the day when peanut butter and toilet paper were nowhere to be found. In our social media feeds, some people are freaking out, while others think we’re blowing things out of proportion. Things feel a little surreal – like we’re living in a bad version of a Hollywood movie. Instead of some celebrity to come in and save the day, we’re having to do it ourselves.

Change has been thrust upon us and organizations around the globe have had to monitor and adjust on what seems like an hourly basis. Its not just one small organizational change, but a LOT of change…. and its hitting us all at once. Its almost as if we’re looking at the grill of a Mack truck barreling down on us.

In fact, this weekend, Apple, which operates the most profitable retail space per square foot, closed all of its stores except the ones in China, until March 27. The significant changes that we’re currently experiencing has led to dramatic decisions like Apple’s and should give us a reason for pause.

Change can be hard… I mean really hard…really, really hard. And not everyone adapts well to change. In fact, people often avoid change. Instead, they opt for predictability and control. Unfortunately, there’s nothing predictable right now.

The only way to make sense of change is to plunge into it, move with it and join the dance.

Alan Watts

Besides washing your hands, covering your sneezes and following the other CDC guidelines, here are a few of my suggestions.

Acknowledge the change. Recognizing and accepting change is one of the first steps towards managing it. Its going to come anyway. You might as well put on your big boy / big girl pants, suck it up and go with the flow.

View it as an opportunity to learn. Not all change is bad. I’ve learned more about Webex in the last week than I ever wanted to know. Although I was “forced” to improve my skills significantly in a very short period of time, I’m grateful that I have this knowledge. Now I’m better prepared and can be more of an asset to the University and to my corporate clients.

Ask for help. If you’re struggling with some aspect of change going on in your organization ask for help. We’re all in this together. The opposite is true too. Offer your help if you see others that may need some assistance.

Enjoy the change. Okay, stop it. I can totally see some of you rolling your eyes at me right now and asking, “Are you kidding me, Amy? You want me to enjoy this?” Working from home or changing the way you normally operate may give you a fresh perspective. Take it all in and look at the positive aspects of your situation – whatever they may be.

Remember to breathe. Stressing out and worrying incessantly will not change things. If you feel yourself getting anxious, give yourself a “time out” and go for a walk, call a friend, watch a silly dog video, do some meditation or crank up your favorite jam and dance around for 5 minutes (They told me I couldn’t do this anymore in the office…that I was “scaring” my colleagues.) Find some humor in your day to help diffuse what can be a stressful situation.

Just remember that in spite of things currently being very challenging, it won’t remain this way forever. Keep an open mind and heart and embrace the change coming your way. Stay well, my friends!

Let UNC Charlotte Employer Solutions help you with transforming the employees at your organization with our onsite, customized programs. Email me at awartham@charlotte.edu for more information.