The Six Steps to Mastering Change
posted in Management & Leadership |
Every Master was once a Disaster!
It is important to realize that although you can use techniques to smooth the change transition process, you will never be able to completely jump from one way of doing something to another without experiencing at least some resistance.
Why is this? Its just part of human nature, people adjust to change at different rates.
To reduce your frustration with this process, it helps to know the six phases people go through whenever they are experiencing any type of change, be it personal or professional.
Anticipation
People in Phase 1 are in the waiting stage. They really don’t know what to expect, so they wait, anticipating what the future holds.
Confrontation
At some point, people reach Phase 2 and begin to confront reality. At this stage, they are beginning to realize that the change is really going to happen or is happening.
Realization
Once the change has happened, people will usually reach Phase 3, where they realize that nothing is ever going to be as it once was. Often times, this realization will plunge them into Phase 4.
Depression
Phase 4 is a necessary step in the change process. This is the stage where a person mourns the past. Not only have they realized the change intellectually…now they are beginning to comprehend it emotionally as well.
Acceptance
Phase 5 marks the point where the person begins to accept the change emotionally. Although they may still have reservations, they are not fighting the change at this stage. Usually, they are beginning to see some of the benefits even if they are not completely convinced.
Enlightenment
In Phase 6, people completely accept the new change. In fact, many wonder how they ever managed the “old” way. Overall, they feel good about the change and accept it as the status quo from here forward.
It is important to note that people in your organizations will proceed through the different phases at different rates of speed. One person may require two months to reach Phase 6 while another may require twelve. To make things even more complex, the cycle of change is not linear. In other words, a person does not necessarily complete Phase 1 through 6 in order. It is much more common for people to jump around. One person may go from Phase 4 to Phase 5 and then back to Phase 2 again; that is why there is no easy way to determine how long a change will take to implement. However, by using the skills outlined above, you increase your chances of managing the change as effectively as possible.
Millionaire Minds are Change Masters
Copyright © Millionaire Minds, LLC 2007
All writings here are copyrighted. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. And remember, You Have a Millionaire Mind!
