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Sailing With the Tides of Change for Workplace Survivors

Written by: Dr. Vincent Kituku

Article Overview: Leaders/managers and supervisors can learn a 3, 000 year old lesson from the Egyptians. When they mummified their Pharaohs, Egyptians removed the dead leader's brain but left the heart intact. They believed that for a leader to be great, a compassionate heart was necessary during and after life.

Sailing With the Tides of Change for Workplace Survivors



For those who have survived downsizing, the challenge is to learn to sail with the wind of change-and learn fast. The key is, if you had not planned to leave before downsizing started in your organization, stay in the boat. When the storm is raging, inside the boat, in most cases is the most secure place to be.

Leaders/managers and supervisors can learn a 3, 000 year old lesson from the Egyptians. When they mummified their Pharaohs, Egyptians removed the dead leader's brain but left the heart intact. They believed that for a leader to be great, a compassionate heart was necessary during and after life.

Caring leaders in these turbulent times are a rare commodity. But leaders with a vision, on ability to share their vision and motivate others will keep the best enthused and energized to use their (employees) uniqueness to keep the boat sailing to new horizons.

These are the leaders who will care enough to: place people in the right position; build competence; encourage individual ownership; provide opportunities for professional growth; channel efforts toward smart and measurable work; respect the individual; recognize progress and achievement; build a workplace that is rich in trust, fairness and fun.

With the massive changes associated with workplace reorganization, there is significant turmoil and stress for surviving employees. After seeing coworkers leave, you wonder, "Why did my friends lose their jobs, or why didn't I see this coming? Did I in any way cause them to be downsized? Will my position be the next to be taken away? Can I trust this organization anymore? And what can I do to prepare for the unknown, should my position be taken too?

Then the fear factor sets in when you find out that you may have new responsibilities need to, learn new skills and tasks, have a new boss, new team members, or new customers.

However, it is of paramount importance to know that the survival of the organization, and thus your position, may largely depend on your ability to keep rowing the boat to get it out of the storm. To do this, you may need to change the perception that you work for someone else. We work to pay our own bills. We work for our children's school needs. We work so that our retirement may be a rewarding experience. Therefore we all work for ourselves.

In these down times, how you use your creativity, effort, time and the resources you have is what will keep you employed. Self-initiative, the ability to identify something that needs to be done and, you, without being asked, start doing it will set you apart. That is giving more than you are required to. To be self-initiating, you don't have to have all the skills or knowledge, but the willingness to help. You don't have to ask for permission either.

Understand the big picture of your organization know how what you do relates to what others do. Identify what elements are not working well and in what way you can make a difference. Identify the benefits of the solutions you are thinking about. Share your concerns with someone who can help with knowledge, contacts, skills or finances. State with how you can help. Start with the skills, knowledge and abilities that you have already.

There are invaluable benefits for being self-initiating at work, home and in community activities. You automatically develop a rare, but powerful quality - the ability to discern a situation and do something about it. You develop a positive mental attitude towards other people. You build your confidence in your skills, knowledge and abilities. You become self-reliant. You attract the attention of others, including your superiors. This permits you to become indispensable. In return, nature compensates you by liberating other people to help you with your personal projects.

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Article Tags: Change, flexibility, motivation, service



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