Carol Kinsey Goman* says many of the changes people faced during the pandemic will remain with them — and there will be more to come.
Change is difficult — and we have plenty of reasons to resist it.
As individuals, we become psychologically attached to the status quo because it is familiar and comfortable.
We find it hard to let go of the past because it is there that we’ve experienced personal success.
The post-pandemic world of work, with its various hybrid working arrangements, will bring increasing amounts of the kind of change that stimulates the prefrontal cortex.
This is the energy-intensive section of the brain responsible for insight and impulse control.
However, the prefrontal cortex is also directly linked to the amygdala (the brain’s fear circuitry, which in turn controls our ‘freeze, fight or flight’ response).
When the prefrontal cortex is overwhelmed with too many complex and unfamiliar concepts, the amygdala connection gets kicked into high gear.
As we adjust to whatever the future demands, we are all subject to the physical and psychological disorientation and pain that can manifest in anxiety, fear, depression, sadness, fatigue or anger.
It’s no wonder that we need more than logic and data to help us survive.
We need personal strategies that strengthen our ability to thrive in changing times. Here are some.
Build your self-confidence
Confidence is the personality trait most responsible for an individual’s ability to deal well with difficult transitions.
Confident people are self-motivated, have high self-esteem, and are willing to take risks because they have a deep belief in their own value.
Self-confidence starts with being aware of and playing to your strengths.
Identify the specific competencies and accomplishments that make you special and develop your natural abilities to the fullest.
Create counterbalance
Change-adept individuals compensate for the demands and pressures of business by developing counterbalancing activities in other areas of their lives.
They engage in exercise programs, mindfulness exercises, and healthful eating habits.
They cultivate interests outside of work— sports, hobbies, art, music, etc. — that are personally fulfilling, and they have sources of emotional support.
Because of this they handle business-related stress better and are more effective at their jobs.
Find your personal source of stability
One of the most memorable interviews I’ve conducted was with the chief executive of a cellular telephone company.
“I’ve got a stabilising force in my life. It’s my sock drawer,” he told me.
“All hell can be breaking loose at work, but when I open my sock drawer to find everything in color-coded, neat little piles, it does my heart good.”
It doesn’t matter if the source of counterbalance sounds silly to others; change-adept people know what works for them.
Keep a positive attitude
With any disruptive change, dangers co-exist with opportunities.
When change-adept people are asked for words they associate with the future’s chaotic workplace, they acknowledge the stress, uncertainty, pressure and disruption.
However, they also emphasise the benefits — opportunity, growth, excitement and challenges that will also be present.
If your job radically changes, or even if it disappears, it may also be an excellent chance to learn something new, utilise previously untapped abilities, and meet new people.
If you keep a positive attitude, you’ll be more likely to rally your energy toward furthering your career regardless of the circumstances.
Stay in the game
In tough times, your first reaction may be to hunker down. Nothing could be less helpful.
This is a time to become very visible in your organisation.
Volunteer for key committees and projects, take credit for your success, and speak up in meetings.
If you are working remotely, add a photo to your email signature, be one who takes meeting notes and distributes them, ask questions of senior leaders.
Display confident virtual body language, and send your boss a weekly summary of your accomplishments.
Nurture collaboration
Whatever the future brings, your personal success will increasingly depend on how well you collaborate internally and externally to find innovative solutions to complex problems.
First, create social capital. Capital is defined as “accumulated wealth, especially as used to produce more wealth”.
Social capital is the wealth (or benefit) that exists because of your social relationships.
Think of social capital as the value created by your connections to others. There is no more valuable commodity in a chaotic business environment.
Second, remember that you can’t command collaboration and you can’t control knowledge sharing.
You can influence people to collaborate and share by creating an environment in which it is safe, enjoyable and beneficial to do so.
Third, build trust. Without trust, there is no true collaboration — and trust is no longer the result of positional power. It needs to be earned.
You earn trust when you keep your word, share information, listen, respect diverse opinions and abilities, admit mistakes, are consistent in expressing and living your personal values.
You also build trust when you deeply believe that the people on your team are equally trustworthy.
There is no doubt that the post-pandemic world will bring vast amounts of change.
If we can remain confident, balanced, stable, positive, visible and trusting, we will not only survive, we will thrive.
*Carol Kinsey Goman is an international keynote speaker and leadership presence coach. Her work involves Government Agencies and universities. She can be reached by email at [email protected].
This article first appeared at carolkinseygoman.com.
