Change is Painful. Acknowledge the Hurt.

You can’t go a day without reading, hearing about, or personally experiencing change. Change to yourself, work, family, community, country, or world.

Some people thrive on it - it’s like oxygen. If they aren’t pushing boundaries, innovating and transforming the status quo, then they may as well be dead. It’s seemingly in their DNA.

But most people resist change. We get comfortable. We like routine and predictability. “But we’ve always done it this way” becomes our security blanket. Knowing and answers make us feel safe. Ambiguity and uncertainty are scary.

What’s fascinating is that even when people recognize that change should/has/needs to happen, there is still massive resistance. We see it in organizations and companies all the time. We KNOW that implementing this new software will help us down the road, but we still push back against its implementation because we will have to take time to learn it and it will change how we do our jobs, and perhaps even how much we are needed. We dismiss it because it’s “not the same”.

Change agents and disruptors are often marginalized in their organizations. Labeled “troublemakers” or “know-it-alls”, they view the world through a lens of constant improvement and re-organization. This mindset is particularly challenging for their peers who view change as a negative. It creates stress and tension in organizations. If a change agent is isolated without others of similar mind, they are likely to leave their company for an organization that will value their contributions.

One way for change agents to increase their success is to acknowledge that change is painful. With every gain that is made, there is also a loss. What might be an improvement in process might also be the letting go of job security or a feeling of work mastery as new skills are learned.

I moved recently to a new part of the country and it was a relocation we were really excited about. But there were still losses — a neighborhood that we loved, friends left behind, our school and faith communities. We took time to acknowledge what we were losing so we could have a greater appreciation for what we gained.

Companies can benefit by talking about both the gains and the losses that accompany organizational change. When we give employees an acknowledgement of their loss, they can then embrace what is to come because they know that you saw them, heard their concerns and that they matter. By supporting them through periods of transition, you will improve team morale and position all of you for the success that change can bring.