Be open to what can be learned from change. Instead of resisting, always ask yourself this question. “What can this change teach me?” You always want to lead the change and not let the change lead you. In order to do that you need to understand the effects and the impact of the expected change and try to adapt to the change and work in concert with others, to implement the change effectively, if possible. That is, if the change makes sense and is not just change for change sake. You always want to be part of the solution and not the problem. So, try to keep a positive perspective and think outside the box. Can this change work? Is this doable? How can we make this happen?

In the book, Leading Change, the author John P. Kotter describes the eight stage process of creating major change. They are:

1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency
   1. Helping others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately
2. Creating the Guiding Coalition
   1. Putting together a group with enough power to lead the change
   2. This group/team must have the right composition, a significant level of trust, and a shared objective.
3. Developing a Change Vision
   1. Clarify how the future will be different from the past
   2. A vision must provide real guidance
   3. It must be focused, flexible and easy to communicate
   4. It must both inspire action and guide that action in foreseeable ways
4. Communicating the Vision For Buy-In
   1. The vision should be simple, vivid, repeatable and invitational. In other words, it should invite two-way communication
   2. Actions speak louder than words, so lead by example and walk the talk
5. Empowering People and Removing Barriers
   1. Remove as many barriers as possible and unleash people to do their best work
   2. Realign incentives and performance appraisals to reflect the change vision can have a profound effect on the ability to accomplish the change vision
6. Generating Short-Term Wins
   1. Create some visible, unambiguous success as soon as possible
   2. These wins also serve to reward the change agents by providing positive feedback that boosts morale and motivation
7. Don’t Let Up
   1. If you let up before the job is done, critical momentum can be lost and regression may soon follow
   2. The new behaviors and practices must be driven into the culture to ensure long-term success
8. Make It Stick
   1. New practices must grow deep roots to remain planted in the organizational culture
   2. Be patient and consistent. Lasting change takes time to become ingrained.

~JWOW