Dear Joslyn:
I have worked in both manufacturing and office settings. In each position, I’ve encountered many employees that struggle to embrace and accept change. It may simply be a company-wide policy change or the way sheet is loaded into a specific machine. But either way, I’ve seen a lot of push back and progress tends to stall while these issues are worked through. How can I convince my coworkers that change isn’t always a bad thing?
– M. Orphing
Dear M. Orphing:
Albert Einstein once said, “The world, as we have created it, is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”
People tend to stick with what they know. If you ask a teenager to describe their daily routine, you’ll probably hear something like, “Wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, go home, eat dinner, go to bed.”
How would they react if you told them that they could sleep all day, wake up, eat dinner, go to school at night, go home, eat breakfast, repeat? They may be hesitant to commit to that change because they don’t know what is involved. To ease their concern, you would explain how this change would be implemented and what work they would need to put in to make it happen (find a school open at night, adjust sleep schedules, etc.).
Most people tend to be afraid of what they do not know. By explaining the reason for the requested change, along with who it affects and when it will take place, you’re easing their worries and giving them the opportunity to voice their concerns. At the end of the day, change is inevitable. The sooner you learn how to adapt, the easier your life will be.
– Joslyn Manufacturing
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