Resiliency - The Change Solution

by Colleen Gray

"We live and work in a time when we are challenged to question everything we know. Our traditional ways of leading, managing, teaching and learning, and our traditional interpretations and ways of acting are insufficient to address the concerns we now face – as individuals, as organisations. Change has made our habitual practices obsolete...”
(Julio Olalla)

Today’s organisational environment produces ongoing changes that many people are unprepared for. When change is imminent, people are often taken out of their comfort zones and may experience unpleasant emotional reactions such as uncertainty, fear, trepidation and resentment.

These key stressors are likely when people perceive they are not being well informed, when they are uncertain about the impact of the changes, or when they are not confident they will cope or adapt.

An individual’s self confidence may be hard to bolster when change is introduced for reasons such as, “the old ways aren’t working”, “we need to work smarter and harder”, “we need to update our systems” or “things around here need to be improved”. These reasons, as valid as they may be, are easily personalised by jittery staff who are accustomed to and probably comfortable with the way things used to be done. Let’s face it, most of us find it easier to keep doing what we know how to do, rather than risk learning new skills - especially when those skills are foisted on us.

In the midst of change, emotional insecurities run rampant. People may perceive that they are not valued or considered, and a mood of distrust and fear can develop. The effort made by an individual to embrace and incorporate the changes is often sabotaged by a reaction to withdraw into the self-protective emotions of denial, resistance or anxiety.

I have seen many clients who need help to cope with the stress of workplace changes. Usually they come with the complaint of how unfair and unjust the situation is, and how they have been considered insignificant in the process. They are often fearful that they have no power to influence the situation, or that are not up to the challenge and will be revealed as frauds.

“What about me, don’t I matter? I want to count too,” they say.

When people resent a situation, they tend to become emotionally stuck. Expending their energy complaining about the changes blinds them to future possibilities or opportunities. Some become resigned to their own powerlessness and believe that nothing they do will make a difference or influence the situation.

My experience with such clients has shown me that it is more useful to focus on a solution than to discuss how awful the problem is. A conversation is needed which will clarify the client’s actual concerns, identify what is missing for them, and open the way for what they want as a future outcome.

In reality, we cannot rely on organisations and management to provide comfortable and supportive change processes. Organisational change is often implemented by managers who do not possess the communication and interpersonal skills that are required.

For most of us, there is no heroic rescuer out there to save us. If we are to survive the upheavals of modern organisational life, we would benefit greatly by developing a ‘tougher skin’ and learning to be more resilient.

Resiliency is an emotional resource which helps us deal with change and adversity. It works by shifting anxiety, worry and suspicion to more useful responses, such as curiosity, steadfastness, courage, boldness and confidence.

Consider Susan’s case, a client who sought assistance to help her cope with workplace changes. She reported that her work situation was like a big black hole from which she couldn’t escape.

After some discussion, she identified her main concern as “feeling overwhelmed”. From there we were able to focus on what was missing for her to cope with this situation.

She revealed that for her it was the ability to adapt more confidently and find ways to “survive without being a victim”. She wanted to be tough and resilient instead of intimidated, and she wanted to be more in charge of her future.

It was delightful to notice how, by taking the time to consider her situation more calmly, Susan found an emotional clearing in which she began to breathe more easily, focus on what she wanted and get in touch with the strengths and resources she already possessed.

In a few sessions, we were able to break down the feeling of being “overwhelmed” into smaller pieces. As she recounted how she had handled many changes previously, she began to realise that she could cope. Her resiliency became evident as she identified the steps she knew she could take and how she could do it.

Our conversations allowed her to clarify past situations where there were lessons to be learnt, and before long she had reshaped her self-identity to include a sense of strength and focus. When Susan moved on from our sessions, she was coping well and participating effectively in the workplace changes.

Resiliency is a state of confidence in our human capacity to learn and grow, no matter what the obstacle. In this state, we appreciate that we are vulnerable when faced with challenges and accept that this is a normal consequence of not knowing what is happening. Rather than resisting the changes, resiliency allows us to develop personal responsibility for finding the meaning of our situation, and ways to harness our innate strengths, resources and capacity for continual learning to survive and thrive.

Some useful strategies for maintaining personal resiliency are:

1. Identify the personal strengths, qualities and resources you possess.
2. Ask yourself, “What is my ‘key concern’ in this situation?”
3. Reflect on past changes you have encountered and what actions you took at that time.
4. Consider what a “miracle picture” of the situation would look like and ask, “How can I negotiate the changes easily and successfully to achieve this miracle picture?”
5. Ask yourself, “What will I need to do differently?” or “What will I need to stop doing?” in order to achieve a positive outcome?
6. Review what is already working, and consider how you achieved this.

Colleen Gray is the founder of Ways Forward and the training institute the Centre of Effective Therapy Cairns, which is based in Cairns. Colleen is a powerful teacher of solution oriented approaches in counselling and Ericksonian approaches in hypnotherapy. She is passionate about using solution approaches to make a difference to peoples lives, and improving organisational environments. She is best known for her down to earth manner and genuine and refreshing approaches which support people to find solutions, new thinking and ways of taking action.