Handling workplace change as an employee

Learning Objectives:
 Why we dislike change ( Ahmed taher )
Although change clearly means opportunity
So, fear of loss is always a problem when changes start to happen.
The five things that we don't want to lose:
1- security ,
 security of earnings
 security of reputation
 knowledge,
 the value of ourselves, our feeling of importance 
 anything you can think of could be threatened by changes.

And even if you're a risk taker you need some foundation of security to build
your risk upon.

2-losing our social network, our friends.

3- losing our knowledge.
  technical knowledge or knowledge of the systems, how to get things done, how the
place really works
4- losing our power. 
 either formal power from our job position or informal power.
 5-freedom.
 As a result of power and knowledge and social contacts.
as a result of a new boss or a reorganization, you might lose all that, which could be
incredibly annoying, depressing really. 

 Planning for change ( Basem )

 Organize to meet with some other people and pool your knowledge and your ideas.
 Get as much information as you can about what's happening and what's going to
happen.
 Your plan will probably require a number of options. If this happens, we'll do
this.  Even though there's still a chance that it will end up being different to all of
your options. 
plan should incorporate positive ideas, :
 what benefits might you get from the situation?
  What are your goals already?
   could the change help you to get nearer to them in some way?
 So, when you begin your plan, your starting point should always be,
  what's my objective in this situation?
  Start with the ideal outcome for you, and then think about how you can try
to get it or to get near to it.
   three main options for any plan.:
1-Staying with the organization, in whatever new shape it might be.
2-leaving the organization, and retiring completely.
2- at least partly retiring and maybe doing a few self-employed things. 

 Developing mental toughness ( Michael ashraf )

- What makes some people tougher than others when they're under pressure? 
 Your attitude :
is the sum of everything that's happened to you up 'til now. 
All your experiences, the voice inside your head, which either says :
"I can handle this change, "I finds  a way to make the best of situations." 
Or
"Oh no, this is going to be awful, "what if the worst happens? "I might lose my job
and never be able to get another one. "Oh, it's going to be terrible." 

How you can control it and you can change your thought habits with a little effort?
 1-you can work on your internal emotions. 
noticing what you  Saying it's not fair or typical of my luck and why does it always
happen to me doesn't solve anything. 
  2-stop worrying
in fact worry is a substitute for action. It's designed to give you an excuse for when
you fail. 
3-choose planning every time. I do think it's worth thinking about risk and preparing
for all possibilities,
4-force yourself to say only positive things "about change and about everything else
in your life, "and you will become a more positive person." 
5- Focus on the present and the future, not the past.

 Maximizing your interpersonal skills ( Noran )

- To be in the best position for any changes you would ideally have the best
relationships possible with everyone that you deal with. 
One of these people might be:
* your new boss next month, or
* your new teammates, or
*they might have the ability to influence decisions . 
certainly don't make any enemies. 
So, how do we become everybody's friend? 
1- First, be :
*a great listener.
 * interested in other people and take a bit of time to ask them things and to
really listen to the answers. 
 * understand what it's like for your suppliers or people in other departments, or
people who work for your competitors. 
2- second,
to go one step further and offer to help people whenever you can. 
I know this costs a bit of time, but think of it as an investment. 
-even helping your competitors sometimes  It's about building bridges for the
future. 
So, Ask your Yourself :
* do you have any enemies?
* Do you have a habit of making enemies? 
*Have you been drawn into a world of politics and taking sides? 
*How combative are you at meetings?
* Do you tell yourself that this is necessary to get results, but is it really? 
*Do you tell yourself that the people you upset aren't important? 
*how nice are you?
* Would most people say that you were their friend? 
*Could you be better at asking people questions and at listening, and are there
more situations where you could offer to help? 
Make it your plan, from now on, to be the most popular person in the
company. It'll be useful in the future, but also, you'll enjoy it.
 Setting long-term career goals ( Sherouk )
- taking opportunities when they come up.
- have the required skills so that you're ready for those opportunities.
 So, in times of change it's vital to have clear goals for where you want your career to
go.
 Successful people don't get there by accident.
 -asking :
1-what you want to do and what you'll be good at.
 2-what skills you'll need, 
3-what experience,
4-what qualifications and you can start working on those. 
5-what's your career destination? 
6-What's your ideal goal that you're working towards?
Then move in small steps towards where you want to be.
The first is that each time you make a decision

 Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone ( Mariam )

how can you push yourself out of your comfort zone? 

1- volunteer for challenges. Just put your hand up and say, "I'll do it." 
2-Take on some projects where you feel a bit anxious about whether you can do
it(It'll be great, You'll learn, self-development). 
 3- training moves you forward mentally, and gives you ideas for new things you can
do.
4-  set demanding goals for your career and your life,
 5- people you mix with. Your friends more change-resistant. So, as well as you're
comfortable friends, can you join groups or associate with people who are
experimental? Who are doing things that are more risky, or difficult than the things
you normally do. People who might influence you into becoming more broad-
minded. 
 What to consider if you're thinking of leaving your job ( Michael Mounir )

*having a good plan B. The better your plan B, the more power you have. 
* personal contacts are the best, if you have the contacts and it's a good idea to keep
in contact with as many people as you can. 
- If you're thinking of leaving, key point:
1- get all the facts, before you do anything hasty.
2- Talk to your boss, HR, senior managers, if you know them, any contacts you have
in the organization, find out as much as you can and check the external situation
as well.
3-  Don't assume that the labor market is good or bad, because even if things are
generally good or bad in the job market, they could be different in your sector or
skill area.
4- Don't leave for an emotional reason( out of pride or anger). 
5- don't wait for redundancy (the severance package)
*if you do leave, two quick points. 
- don't say anything until you've definitely got the new job in the bag( just
because an interview went )
-if you do leave is be nice about it. You never know if you'll need a
reference or want to come back one day

 Building up your network ( Taher )

- success is correlated to the number of contacts a person has. 

The more people you know, the more opportunities are likely to come your way.
 They give you information and ideas, and support, and access to all the people that
they know. 
So How good are you at this? How large is your current list of contacts? How
systematic are you at keeping contact details, and at keeping in touch? How good
are you at chatting to new people and asking them about themselves? Do you
volunteer for sociable situations like meetings and conferences? What could you do
today to increase your chances of meeting new people who you will like?
 How to be low maintenance employee ( Basem )

- it's a good idea to be PEAR in times of change.

P for Positive,
E for Easy to work with,
A for Appearing in control,
R for Reliable.
*ways that you can be easy to work with when you're getting started with your new
boss:
1-how much communication do they want? They want to be kept informed, of
course. 
Your objective is to reduce the amount of reporting over time, and this will probably
happen naturally as they grow to trust you. 
2-what communication method do they like? Do they want to have one-to-one
meetings with you daily or weekly? Or would they prefer a quick email? 
-whatever method you use, you should try to be quicker than you're comfortable
with. 
 3-what is their routine like? What time of day are they available to talk? Do they,
perhaps, like to check their emails first thing? Or do they prefer to get an update
from you before they do anything else? Are they a bit grumpy in the morning? Or are
they tired at the end of their day? 
know your boss's time clock. 
4- learn to read the signs of the new boss's mood.
6- no surprises. Bosses hate surprises.

  Do you give the right amount of communication? Have you thought about which
format they like best? Do you know the best time of day for your boss? Can you read
the signs of their mood? And, do you ever give your boss sudden, bad surprises?

 Establishing goals and plans with a new boss ( Michael ashraf )

1-establish what your goals are in your job( rather than waiting for your boss to do )
established your goals you can also have plans for how to get there. 
link between goals or objectives 
So
 do you have clear goals, both the areas and the numerical targets? Do you have
clear, visible plans of how you'll get there which your boss has seen? Do you have a
master list in priority order and has your boss seen it and approved it? What changes
in the way that you work do you think a new boss is likely to want? And have you
agreed a frequency of meeting with them so they don't ever start to feel out of
touch?
 How to deal with a bad boss

- living with a bad boss and not caring about your work is unacceptable. It's a waste
of a life. You should rather leave than live with that. 

So solution :

 1-tell them, but in a positive way and with a specific action plan that they can easily do. 

Which type are you? Analytical, Controller, Enthusiast, or Amiable? 

Impact On Business:

-Clear goal & objective ( taher )

-long term plan ( taher )
- knowing your self ( Basem )
- improve your skills ( basem )
-building strong relationship network ( Noran )
-stop worrying ( Michael ashraf )
- change your attitude ( be positive ) ( Sherouk )
- Out of comfort zone ( Mariam )
-Improve communication channel with your boss ( Michael Mounir )
- accept change as a challenge