Dealing with changes in a dynamic workplace
My first year as a UX Designer learning to deal with change
It’s almost a year since I began working at my current company, and my goodness, have I seen some change!
From a new director coming on board, to multiple methodology changes, and more personally, working in three different roles myself, sometimes simultaneously, it feels like it’s been hectic!
I’ve always thought I liked change. But my recent experience of work has helped me realise that I only like change, when it’s within my control. When it’s not, it’s a whole lot harder to work through.
Don’t get me wrong, I think these changes are valuable, and that the business is learning, growing and adapting in a dynamic landscape. These changes are good for the company. But no matter how hard a company works at change management, I think there are ways individuals can try to keep their head above water in major turbulence.
Journaling (and how I use it to make my rants more concise)
My husband is an amazing listener… and I’m pretty spectacular at talking — but I’ve been trying to become more concise in the way I speak. This is partially inspired by the way my husband’s eyes (or anyone’s for that matter) glaze over as I start talking about work. I know how annoying it can be when people try to tell me about their work and it feels like we go around in loops and circles to get to what’s often a really simple point. I know I do this too — but journaling has helped! I’m pretty new to it, I’ve tried it on-and-off a couple of times in the past, but never consistently. Even now, as I write this, I’d be lying if I said I’d consistent at it. But I’ve found it incredibly useful as I try to make sense of the constant changes at work. Not only does it help me to cull down my thoughts, conversations and feelings into a much more concise result (because it takes more time and effort to write than speak). It also helps me to organise my thoughts, and keeps a record of changes and upheaval. That kind of proof can come in handy later if you need to justify your actions (or if you’re complaining to your manager about constant change).
Find ways to be inspired & motivated
I’m not sure if everyone experiences this, but I find it really easy to work on tasks if I feel inspired by them, and I’m not so great at getting things done if I’m not motivated or inspired by it. Luckily for me, I’ve found a whole lot of tricks for inspiring and motivating myself into work! However, these tricks often fall short if I’ve just been told that a whole lot of work became redundant because someone decided on (yet another) change! I’m still working on this one, but so far I’ve found two great ways to motivate myself and push past the inconvenience of change.
- Focus on the people you’re designing for — Sometimes office politics, and processes can really put a dampener on a situation. Luckily, at my company, we create solutions for AMAZING clients! We mostly work with organisations that are helping others (non-profits, educational organisations and other cool orgs like that) — so focusing on them, makes it soooo much easier to do my job! It helps to shrug-off inconveniences caused by change and focus on the client, doing my best to give them the most value I possibly can. I know that’s pretty specific to my job, but I think the principle remains the same — you’re designing for someone. If you don’t care about them, and your company changes all the time, what are you doing it for? What inspires you at your job — and how can you use that to motivate yourself?
- Go for a walk — there have been times when there’s been a major change at work, and I get to a point where I might feel frustrated, angry, or demotivated. I can’t work in these circumstances. If I do, I know the work I do won’t be very good. Sometimes talking to people about it is helpful, other times it’s just an opportunity to repeat your frustrations, and sometimes there’s nobody to talk to. It’s times like these when Spotify has become my new best friend. Going for a walk and listening to some music or a podcast can be awesome to help me focus when I get back to work! Also, it’s usually a better option than rage-quitting.
Be flexible, and try to understand the perspective of others
This advice should certainly be taken with a grain of salt. Yes, the work you do is important, but sometimes it’s not worth the effort of being frustrated. I’ve found that it’s important to be flexible. Usually, your manager, your boss, or other colleagues haven’t made a change just to frustrate you or make your work redundant, there are other things at play. I know it’s frustrating when you’ve devoted time and effort to something that gets wasted, has to be redone, or when you feel like you’re in a whirlwind of constant change. But there’s usually a higher-level plan, and you’ve just be swept up in it.
Try to understand the perspective of those making the change. Is it working towards a bigger goal for the company? Is it better for your customers? Or perhaps it’s going to be better in the long-term.
If there’s been a major change, particularly if it affects you significantly, it’s usually worth asking questions. This can help you to build empathy and understanding for why that decision was made in the first place. Ask if that’s the best option (if you’ve got an alternative suggestion, it’s probably worth mentioning). But remember to be gentle when you ask questions — going into a meeting with an accusatory attitude probably won’t help much.
I’m still learning new ways to adapt to and embrace change in the workplace. I’d love to hear how you deal with changes at work — let me know!
