It is the beginning of a new year.... an inevitable event. At 11:59 p.m. on December 31st it was 2005 but at midnight it was 2006. We said goodbye to the old, celebrated the new, made resolutions, and moved into the New Year. There was a change; an event occurred.
But how do you deal with the change to the New Year? Does the idea of moving into the New Year offer you opportunities or the potential for learning or discovery? Did you rush out to the gym to shed those holiday pounds or sign up for that workshop in creative writing at the Community College? Did the number of options leave you tired and wishing for the old and comfortable? These are examples of Transition Management issues.
Many individuals and organizations study change, write about it, and plan for it. We develop scenarios for the future, write contingency plans, focus on short term and long term plans, and some even plan to write plans. Most organizations focus on strategies to reach future goals and objectives - this laborious process is called strategic planning. The events in life happen but how we react to change is sometimes overlooked. Most overlook the linchpin between strategic planning and change - that is Transition Management.
As change is planned, the planners should consider the feelings and emotions to be experienced by moving through the phases of transition. Forward thinking organizations anticipate reactions at each phase and develop appropriate incentives for the movement from stage to stage. As Transition Management tools are used, the individuals and organizations will consider energy level, performance management, and behaviors demonstrated by one, a team or the whole organization.
There are three distinct phases in Transition Management:
- Ending, Losing, Letting Go
The phase is the rapid to slow process of releasing the past and moving to the new. - The Neutral Zone
The foggy state where the future is not clear but there is no turning back. This state includes great opportunities to learn, be creative, and grow. - The New Beginning
The time when the new becomes unconsciously normal, fear of failure is minimized, and the past is accepted as a previous phase.
A number of basic and simple principles are the foundation of Transition Management. First you must have an end before a beginning and you must recognize that between these phases is a gap. The gap can be large or small but it exists. This gap not only exists but also can be a period of great learning, creativity, and self-discovery! People reacting to changes will move through the transition phases at their own speed. And most importantly, the world is changing so fast that many of us are operating at a transition-deficit. We have had to handle so many changes so fast that we need the time and energy to move through all of the transition phases for the many changes in our personal and professional lives.
In inSITE's half day and full day programs in Transition Management, individuals and groups learn the implications of the various stages in the transition process. We provide methods to help learners apply transition management theory to the changes they face as well as plans to implement strategies to respond to change. With the right tools, employees will have the confidence to navigate through the myriad of issues our constantly changing world and work place present.
