Managing Fear During Change

Is change today different than it was 30 years ago? It sure is. And that’s why YOUR view of change may depend on your age.

VIDEO

TRANSCRIPT

Today’s Change is Different

I, and others in my generation,  grew up in a golden age of industrial work stability. We kind of assumed it would always be the norm. BUT it wasn’t.

From the end of World War II up until the massive spread of desktop computers in the early 1980s, very little ACTUALLY changed You could leave an organization in 1948 and come back 30 years later to find the same people working there, doing the same types of jobs, with the same qualifications, often using the exact same equipment.

Since then, we’ve had computers, the internet, cell phones, smartphones, social media, and now AI. Each has fundamentally changed how we work, where we work, when we work, and how much we’re paid.

Some workers over 45 are still in a predictable legacy economy. Others, the same age, have seen their industries and jobs gutted. And younger workers? They’ve known nothing but disruption. Many have watched their opportunities shrink while the pace of change keeps accelerating.

Workplace Change Generates Genuine Fear

So where am I going with this?

All of these groups dislike change for different reasons. But what they share is a very human response: FEAR. For many people, workplace change feels like a threat to their survival. And sometimes it is.

That’s why change requires that people leaders like us take a critical role. 

People Leaders Can’t Be Distant During Change

The worst thing you can do — other than lie — is to avoid talking about what employees already see happening in front of them. Change demands that we lean in to human connection, not pull away from it.

AND you don’t need to have all the answers. OFTEN if you do, you can’t always talk about them.  

But if your team senses you’re honest, present, and genuinely understand their concerns they’re far more likely to walk through change with you, instead of turning AGAINST you.

Want to help your team or leadership audience better understand and manage change? Check out my keynote, Leading through Chaos and Change perfect for building confidence in uncomfortable leadership moments.