A sudden, unexpected event happens that forces us to change how we work, to adapt the way we think of our career aspiration and our life.
A change in the workplace policies or practices, a change in the relationship we had with our boss or our co-workers or a shock to the overall business from a competitor or other outside forces.
These days, it feels like there is so much unpredictability and change that we feel blessed and grateful if we can go one day without a dramatic change in our lives.
Complexity leads to change
Over the last few years, what I have learned is that disruption in the workplace has become more common as our world gets more populated and global.
The world is getting more complex as we evolve, not simpler. Due to greater complexity and uncertainty, businesses are under severe pressure from customers, competitors, government regulators and the general public.
In science the term for this is entropy, which I’ve talked about in a previous post. The more people we have in the world taking various actions the more complexity, uncertainty and disorder we get.
Imagine a household with parents and one child. Then imagine a household with parents and three children. Chaos!
Things don’t get simpler. They get more complex.
What it means for learning to adapt to change in the workplace?
Get used to it! It means that we all have to be better at adapting to change in the workplace if we’re to survive, grow and succeed in our careers and our lives. Standing still makes us feel stuck and uneasy. So, buckle up!
Here are some tips on how to adapt to change in the workplace: