Talents and Change Management

We are reposting a blog that was a great help to many people in 2020. Four years ago we experienced a major change in our work with one of our suppliers that disrupted our productivity and deliverables for many of our clients. Upon reflection a few months later, I actually went through the steps of grieving related to the Kübler-Ross change curve (see graph below).

There was the initial shock. How could this be happening? What were these people thinking or NOT thinking? I soon went to denial, calling customer service to get answers and register complaints. I probably entered the depression phase about the time I started calling other colleagues to commiserate and find out what if anything they were doing to return things back to the way they used to be. 

After binge watching a season of Suits and Googling to see if there were any free and easy legal actions I could take, I finally began to experiment with real alternatives and adjustments I would need to function in the new reality foisted upon us. By December, I made decisions that put me down the path of integration and success, even seeing new opportunities and efficiencies brought on by the overhaul of a vital process in my business.

What was the turning point to thrive rather than resist or simply survive this major change? I realized one of my top 5 talents was not adapting to the change. My Strategic starts with the end in mind and moves through the maze of challenges and obstacles to get to my desired outcome in the most efficient way. Overnight, the maze or system I had learned to navigate so effectively for the past 10 years no longer existed. I started tapping into my Connectedness talent to reframe my problem into ideas and energy to adapt. Once I redirected myself to the “new maze” and recalibrated to a new end point of what success looked like I was able to finally get traction.

Does any of this resonate with you? As we wind down 2023 there still seems to be the overwhelming times of constant, fluid, and some days, chaotic change. To do a self-diagnostic of my top 5 talents always helps me to gain insight and perspective of how my strengths and or Kryptonite may be reacting, resisting, or responding to the transitions around me.

To serve those of you who I have had the privilege to work with over the past decade, I have done a video series on Talents and Change. It is designed to give you some insight into how some of your talents may be struggling with the fluid environment we are in and which talents you may want to lean into more in times of transition. To get started, click here for an intro and run down of the 12 Reflect talents and their natural response to change.

All the Best!

Bert