Wet Diapers

I was listening to one of my favorite leadership gurus, Ken Blanchard, on a radio show. He had a great sound byte - "The only people that like change are babies with wet diapers." It made me laugh (LOL) and the comment also made me reflect on how I react to change.

We all have examples in our life of minor and major changes (going to college, leaving the parents, new jobs, marriage, divorce, having kids, changing careers, losing jobs, etc.). Change is hard. I believe that managing change starts with having a clear picture of the future and the importance of the vision.

In our daily, monthly and yearly "changes", we all need to really seek to understand the change and how it will positively impact you in the future. Even though you may initially view the change as negative, there are positive aspects if you look hard enough and ask yourself reflection and awareness questions.

Some tips I have learned along the way to manage, accept and thrive in change are:

1. Does this change get me passionate? Would I do it for free (well, almost free) if I won the lottery?


2. What skills do I have that are marketable if this change is not something I am passionate about - make a list of these skills, seek feedback on your list from your spouse, children and friends


3. Keep in mind the transitions are often harder than the actual change. Focus on the small steps within the transition rather than trying to "eat an elephant" by focusing on the end result of change.


4. Change typically requires some sort of new behavior. Be aware of that. You may have to learn new skills, and/or take a different approach to thinking to make this a positive experience.


5. View change as a way of life. In today's world, if you aren't changing, you are left behind. Develop an attitude of flexibility and adaptability and you will be in the top 95th percentile of people. This is valuable.

Questions to ask yourself about your ability to manage change:

1. Do I typically look at change as a nuisance or opportunity?


2. Do you focus on what will be lost, or the possibilities?


3. Do you get frustrated that change doesn't seem to stop, or do you consider each as an improvement over the current situation?


4. Do you need to gather more information about the change in order to view this as a positive thing?

I am sure something in our lives will change in the next 48 hours. Think about how you react and manage change when it happens.

Change is not just for babies with wet diapers.