Life is changing, as we know it. How we interact with each other. How we attend church. How our kids learn. And how some of us work. Change can be viewed as something good or bad, depending on your outlook. The key to thriving past COVID-19 is learning how to accept change, and doing so gracefully. Today on the blog, our small business coach at Bryant Consultants wants to share five ways to gracefully accept change post-pandemic.
Admit When You Don’t Have The Answers
It’s ok not to have all of the answers right away. Learning how to manage a business or be an employee in today’s world is going to be different than it ever has been before. Research and prepare for how you will face tomorrow, but don’t be afraid of not having it all together immediately. Explore resources that will help, and reach out to a business consultant if you have questions. Bryant Consultants has a plethora of information on our blog, or you could explore our small business coaching services to find out how we could help you.
Avoid Gossiping
Office gossip will drain your team quicker than anything. It ruins work relationships, brings down morale, and eventually, it prevents you, and the business you work for, from reaching their goals. It’s ok to disagree with a change, but understand that the people who enforce these changes are doing so to keep you and the rest of the team safe. You can’t do your job if you aren’t kept safe. If you have something to say that will contribute to moving the team forward, say it to the person in charge, not gossip about them behind their back.
Keep Moving Forward
When things in your life “die,” life doesn’t just stop. Take time to mourn what was, and then press forward to what is to come. Even if you feel like you’re navigating uncharted territory, embrace it, and learn to contribute using your own gifts and talents. Don’t just hide under the covers, so to speak, or run the opposite way. Change is inevitable. It’s how we grow. It will catch up to you eventually, which is why it’s better to keep pressing forward rather than to freeze in your tracks.
Externalize Change
It’s easy to externalize change when you get a new hair cut or a new outfit, but change isn’t always something that you can see. Externalize change by doing something different, like start a new morning routine before you go to work. Change how you spend your lunch break. Instead of scrolling on the Internet while eating an unhealthy to-go lunch, pack healthy food, eat it, and then take a walk. Maybe you externalize change outside of work, like taking up a new hobby to get your mind focused on something new that you can control.
Stick With It
Some people, when faced with unwanted change, just turn and run the opposite direction. As an employee, this may mean that you look for another job. We assure you that the grass, while it may appear brighter on the other side, still has to be mowed! In other words, changing jobs might seem like the change you are looking for, but there will always be things you don’t like wherever you go! You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, and starting out at the bottom at a new place will take just as much effort, if not more, than accepting and working through change right where you are.
No one ever said that change would be easy, but it is inevitable considering the world we now live in. Change is going to happen with or without you! You can go at it kicking and screaming (which sounds exhausting) or accept change gracefully. It’s your choice!
Bryant Consultants has been providing training and consulting services to dental practices and small businesses for more than a decade. Our goal is to help practices reach their full potential and thrive past the pandemic. If you would like to learn more, please call (877) 768-4799 for a complimentary one-hour consultation. Are you on social media? We are too! Please connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
