How Do You React To Change?

We are living in revolutionary times!

Often, these changing times require a fundamental shift and reinvention of how we live, work and play.

Yet, not everyone copes with change the same way.

Six Coping Mechanisms For Change

Here are six coping mechanisms identified by author Hans Finzel in Change Is Like A Slinky.

1. Hold Out

These people don’t want change to occur. Everything is fine the way it is. They deny that change is even occurring. They are hoping that the past will return.

2. Keep Out

These people hunker in the bunker as they put their heads in the sand. Their mantra is “We’ve always done it this way. It’s been successful for years. Why change now? Change stay out.” These people often will do whatever they can to prove that the changes are wrong. They can become passive-aggressive with leadership.

3. Dish out

These people dish out opposition in open hostility. They will openly oppose change every step of the way. Drama is their middle name. Dramatic times of change require dramatic choices that will likely provoke dramatic reactions. Often, these people feel that the changes being made are eroding their perceptions of the organization’s bedrock values that are dearest to them. Typically, they are confusing means with ends. They are turning a methods issue into a values issue.

4. Move Out

These people relocate and hide in nostalgic yearning for the status quo. They love average experiences. Status quo is as comfortable to them as a pair of worn shoes. They move out of the change and let everyone know that leadership is nuts.

5. Close Out

These people toss in the towel and admit defeat. They may even say, “Whatever. I am not here in spirit, just in body. I’m just going through the motions so as not to rock the boat. They can do what they want.”

6. Reach Out

These people change with a direction towards the new future. They understand the goal of the changes and think it makes sense. The reach out in the direction of the change and try to keep it moving forward.

Mastering Change Not A Choice

Ultimately, adapting to and mastering change is not a choice. As harsh as it sounds, the motto for leadership today is “change or die.”

In today’s revolutionary times when changes come fast and from many unexpected angles, it is no longer a luxury but an imperative to learn to adapt to change.

How do you typically react to change? What are some strategies you use when change hits your front door?