Thursday evening, I picked my three-year-old up from daycare and took her to a “make up” swim class. Practically bursting with excitement, she trotted through the doors to the pool with a huge grin on her face. But when we got to her swim lane, a look of fear and confusion replaced that sweet smile.
Baffled by her reaction, I realized too late that it was because she wasn’t prepared for anything to be different. She was in a different lane, with a different teacher, different kids, etc. It was too much change for her to process, particularly when she was expecting swimming as usual. So she did what any preschooler worth her salt would do—dug her heels in and cried.
Children frequently exhibit their raw emotions, openly and without shame. Those emotions don’t disappear for us as adults, but we learn to manage them. Unfortunately for us, we can’t enter the office, take one look at our new boss, and erupt into a pile of tears.
With 4,000 new political appointees slated to enter government leadership, change is inevitable. And given that nearly 70% of the Senior Executive Service is experiencing their first-ever presidential transition as a leader, change of this magnitude is new to many. For those of us who are experiencing change within our own business structures, it’s important to outline steps for not only dealing with a transition, but also thriving in one.
Below are three simple strategies for success:
Change, while often scary, can be refreshing. It offers new opportunity to examine ourselves, our organization, and our way of doing things. By embracing the change, encouraging your team to do the same, and positioning your team and work appropriately, you can not only weather the transition, but also emerge stronger than before.