How to weather the winds of change at work

It takes an impossible amount of effort to create a great team at work: To find the right people, to train them, to inspire them to excel, to keep them from being bored, to overcome difficult circumstances, to bond as a team.

A new work life begins — and no matter what it is, many of us don't like it, at least not at first.

That's why it's time to work on our "change" mojo.

CHANGE IS COMING AT YA

It's no secret that Americans change jobs and move often, but let's crunch some numbers:

• About 39 million Americans moved in 2006, 14 percent of the population, according to the Census Bureau.

• The average American will change jobs 10 times between ages 18 and 38, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• For the first nine months of 2007, more than 1.14 million Americans were laid off — more if you count those being let go from smaller companies, the BLS reported.

Of course, not everyone who moved changed jobs, and not everyone who changed jobs moved. But change is an essential part of our lives and our economy, so it's coming, whether you're ready or not.

INVOLUNTARY CHANGE

So how can we handle change better? To start, stop fearing it so much.

"We think change is a threat to our survival, that our lives are going to be different," said Richard Hawk, a motivational speaker who helps companies implement safety changes. "It will be different — but our success as a species is based on our ability to adapt."

Second, realize that in nature, things improve or degrade — they don't stay the same.

"We have to embrace change, to realize that change will make you a smarter person," Hawk said.

Finally, you have to accept that sometimes you are powerless, and the only thing you can bring is a positive outlook.

BOTCHING THE CHANGE

There are innumerable ways that companies can drop the ball as they are introducing changes — but lying and allowing rumors to flourish are about the best of the lot.

"A classic mistake is to tell employees a lie to make it appear not so bad," said Hawk. "That just makes it worse."

If employees hear about 2,000 possible layoffs but then only 1,500 are let go, they might be relieved because the news is not as bad as they thought. The opposite is devastating — the news is worse than expected and now they can't trust a word their employer says.

Festering rumors, meanwhile, annihilate productivity just when the company needs all the help it can get. And not keeping important changes secret until their appointed time can lead to all sorts of legal problems, including insider trading.

LIVING IN THE NOW

We spend a lot of time grousing at work: about bosses, about co-workers, about deadlines or uncomfortable chairs. If you work outside you also get to grouse about the weather. And when you pay your rent, mortgage, child-care, car, electric and food bills, you grouse about your paycheck.

There's a whole lot of grousing going on.

But sometimes, you look around at the people you take for granted every day and realize, damn, they're good. They make me better, I make them better.

When that light goes off, it's time to celebrate.

"Don't be always living your life in the future," Hawk said. "Nothing is permanent, you never know what will come up, so focus on the beauty of the present."

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company