Change Can Work for You or Against You

It's Your Choice

Abstract

As knowledge exploded and technology advanced in the last 2 centuries or so, present and several recent generations became the first in history to experience massive change in their lifetimes. In our era of rapid change for which no end is in sight, people have had to adjust to the fact that security no longer resides in constancy, in being consistent, unchanging, and loyal, that today's security, if such exists, is found in flexibility and adaptability. Change is never-ending, change is rapid, and resistance to change is always a concern for managers at all levels and for all nonmanagerial employees as well. Change upsets many people; change forces individuals out of their comfort zone so that they no longer are in equilibrium with their environment. There are a number of kinds of change that impact workers, foremost among them being changes in organizational structure and changes in management. Changes foster resistance, especially when it is not thoroughly understood. A manager must be a change agent, making essential change acceptable to the employees and striving to alleviate, through communication and enlightenment, the resistance to change that is frequently inspired by fear of the unknown and lack of understanding of the reasons why any particular change may be necessary.