in my career, I was a developer. A support person quit suddenly, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting on the trading desk, with no training and absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was paralyzed by the fear that I would make a mistake that would screw up a trade, or worse, cost me my job. What was holding me back from learning and tackling a new challenge head-on was fear.
I managed to nearly avigate my new role on the trading desk and later realized the professional benefit I gleaned from expanding my horizons. With hands-on experience working in the front office, I was better able to understand the technology my colleagues were using and their workflow. Ultimately, I could have saved myself a lot of stress if I had taken the change in stride from the outset. As I’ve learned throughout my career, this is a recurrent theme across companies, roles, and projects.
In our industry, we work on programs that often require a significant change in technology, and this can bring forth some pretty fierce emotions. I’ve seen countless colleagues express dismay or even anger when a new software solution shows up on their desks. I can completely understand the frustration—oftentimes this means changing the way a task has been completed for years. Perhaps the colors are different, the workflow has completely changed, or manual processes have been automated. Someone who thought they were doing an effective job may feel slighted by this jarring change. But in my experience, most negative reactions stem from a place of fear. Will I be replaced? Was I doing a lousy job? Will I be able to grasp this technology? No doubt, change is scary.
While we all bear a responsibility to accept changes in our professional lives, some of the initial resistance (and fear) can be proactively addressed. A well-designed change management program will ensure that the necessary support models are in place to help move the change forward and that new users are comfortable with the demands of their new role or responsibilities. To that end, making training a priority will give users confidence and help color their experience with new technology in a positive light. Smoothly transitioning a program from our consulting team to our clients is a priority for us on all engagements (see our blogs Readiness Hide and Seek or Try Losing Your Job Once in a While).
The law of inertia is an undeniable truth that helps explain why change is usually forced upon us. The status quo is almost always more comfortable than the unknown. But what happens after a change takes place? We adapt and keep rolling until the next disruption. So why not make the process of adaptation easier with an open mind and willingness to learn? Our careers are defined when we step out of our comfort zone.
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