Coping With The Stress Of Workplace Changes

What is it about change that frightens so many people?

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Leo Tolstoy

According to the 2017 American Psychological Association’s (APA) Work and Well-Being Study, American adults who have been affected by change at work are more likely to report chronic work stress, less likely to trust their employer and more likely to say they plan to leave the organization within the next year.  Additionally, the APA study finds that almost a third of U.S. workers said they were cynical when it comes to changes, reporting that they believed management had a hidden agenda, that their motives and intentions were different from what they said, and that they tried to cover up the real reasons for the changes.

Given the negative impact of change, it’s no wonder that multiple studies over the years have demonstrated that 70 percent of change programs in the workplace fail to achieve their goals. It’s also no surprise that, in many companies, wary workers feel that the more things change the more they stay insane.  
 

Those of us who work in the employee assistance profession are often asked to give workplace trainings on the topic of change management. Sometimes it’s requested before an organization goes through some major change that leaders worry is going to cause pushback from staff. Other times, it’s used after a change has been initiated and the pushback is beginning to feel like a big shove backwards.  

Whether it’s used as prevention or intervention, teaching people about change is a challenging endeavor. Standing in front of a group of people as a messenger of change is like being the weatherman trying to prepare people for a coming storm. A large number of those listening are too freaked out to pay attention, while others are convinced it will not impact them in any meaningful way. The common element in either the denial or panic response is fear.

What is it about change that frightens so many people? Why do many people respond by digging heals in or kicking and screaming? One psychological theory is that people resist change because change equals loss and many of us don’t do grief very well. Typically, the theory goes, people will go through the stages of anger, depression, denial, bargaining before accepting the change.  

This concept makes sense if the pending change really fits into the loss category. What it does not explain is why people still resist changes that are not losses but potential gains, and/or things that they themselves believe in.  

It has been noted that common negative reactions to changes include:
 

While there’s plenty of finger-pointing to go around for the failure of change management programs, the prime mover is, simply, human nature itself. Sometimes referred to as the “what’s in it for me?” (WIIFM) factor, the truth is that all of us work within a self-serving circle which only increases in circumference when we are stressed.

Since both change advocates and protesters can agree that change is inevitable, and those who adapt get to evolve into being continually employed, a new paradigm of change is called for—one that’s not at odds with human nature.  

It’s time we lay to rest the concept of change management since it relies on the failed notion that leaders can convince people to act against their own senses of what’s fair and meaningful. Employees will be better served by seeing themselves as change administrative assistants (the ones who really keep an organization from going off the rails) and take personal responsibility for the twists and turns on the company flowchart. 

Returning the locust of control inward – answering the WIIFM questions for oneself — stressed out workers can take comfort in riding the change wave rather than being swept away by it. Managers, rather than trying to convince skeptical workers that “this time the change is really going to be good for us,” can instead focus on that which makes all administrative assistant jobs easier: providing timely and accurate information, and role modeling change-oriented behaviors. 

Here are some tips for sharpening your change administrative assistant skills: 
 

1. Deicide what’s in it for you before someone does it for you. Actively focus your attention on the possible positive outcomes for yourself, even if the only current outcome that you can think of is having survived another round of change.
 

2. Don’t believe everything you hear. Stay away from the rumor mill and those who are predicting that the coming change is essentially the end of life as you know it. This only increases your stress and decreases the working part of the brain needed for making rational decisions.
 

3. Believe that you haven’t heard everything. Understand that there is always more to the story than is being presented no matter how many times you’re told, “as soon as I know, you’ll know.”  This will help prepare you for the inevitable hiccups in the process along the way.
 

4. Vent only in a safe place. Many changes in the workplace are suffocated by the toxic environment created by those who feel the need to “get this off my chest.” In order to avoid inhaling the fumes put out by the naysayers, seek the support of a non-work related friend, advisor or counselor.
 

5. Watch the flow before you go with it. The common wisdom of simply moving with the change makes sense as long as the flow doesn’t end at a towering waterfall. Good administrative assistants have a keen sense for seeing the big picture.

Mike Verano, LPC, LMFT, CEAP, BC-TMH, CCISM is a Clinical Manager at Optima EAP. He is also a licensed therapist, certified employee assistance professional, certified approved instructor of critical incident stress management and a board certified tele-mental health professional with over 30 years of experience in the mental health field. Mike has had articles published in national and international magazines on a wide range of topics and is a nationally recognized public speaker who has presented trainings on a wide range of mental health topics.