02/02/2015
Life is full of frequent changes – changes that we welcome, and changes that are inconvenient or even catastrophic. However, there is a difference between changes and transitions. S. Quick, R.J. Fetsch and M. Rupured of Colarado State University describe it like this: “Change is situational; transition is psychological. It’s not the events outside us that make the transition; it’s the inner-reorientation and meaning-the redefinition we make to incorporate those changes.”
Transitions are times of travelling from something old and familiar to something new and unfamiliar. Some transitions involve major disruptions in routines and force us to re-examine our values and lifestyle such as when your employment has been terminated or your position has been made redundant. Predictable or unpredictable, transitions can challenge us to grow and force us to concentrate on the present moment.
A retrenchment can feel like a cruel blow and have a profound effect. Often, there is an initial shock and various emotions can surface – denial, anger, ambivalence, fear which are all normal and will pass. Faced with a myriad of emotions it is not uncommon for individuals to rush to make a new beginning, and plunge into a new situation, but only to then find themselves frustrated, perhaps resentful or even preoccupied with ‘unfinished business’ from their past. They may move to a different job, but their minds can be still filled with old information.
Handled correctly and with the right frame of mind, a forced retrenchment or termination can be a great opportunity to examine one’s career history and uncover the things that may be preventing individuals from being their best. It is important to take the time to adjust to the new identity offered by the change and in doing so make your best better!
Each person’s progression is unique to individual circumstances and abilities. Every transition begins with an ending, and to embrace the new, we must let go of the old. Allowing ourselves to experience our new feelings fully, enables us to make a new beginning.
Practice finding the upside of the transition.
It is not what happens to you that may cause you to respond the way you do, but how you choose to react to what happens. Adjusting your thoughts and actions will help you to better manage your response.
So what can you do now to help you through a difficult transition?
The following transitions that can help you are:
- Think about how you want to say goodbye to colleagues, say goodbye and then try to let go. Your messaging is important to how others will view you. Avoid unproductive conversations with former colleagues who want to “fill you in” on the latest organisation chatter. Conversations such as these may impede your efforts to move on and keep you stirred up in a sea of difficult emotions.
- Request outplacement/career transition services or a particular person with whom you would like to work. Even if you feel confident about your ability to find work, outplacement/career coaching services offered by experts will help you to learn something that will help your work transition.
- Give in to your feeling of loss and allow yourself to experience what you feel. Don’t run away from your feelings and accept that you will get back on an even keel later in your job search process.
- Look at the transition as both a loss and a gain. The gain – opportunity to find a new, stimulating and rewarding job, to try something new, to work with interesting people. This is an opportunity to search for these gains.
- Enhance your self-awareness and learn more about yourself. Do this by examining your past work environments, revisiting what you liked and didn’t like to inform your focus for finding your next role of choice. Insights gained from past experiences can be critical to making a success out of your future.
- You are a unique individual with special talents, strengths and interests so tune into what these are. Understand what the value is that you bring and actively look for places where that contribution can be made.
- Stay positive and think about the outcome you want, not what you fear. A positive attitude will help you feel good about yourself and the situation that you are in. Take control and work out what you can do now to help you through this difficult transition. Visualise your future unfolding the way you want it to. Accept that past achievements can no longer be standard for satisfaction in the present. Try to not cling to old identities, or roles if they no longer meet your needs and avoid those routines that you were only just “tolerating.”
- Set realistic short and long term goals and start to realise your dream of who you want to be and what you want to do. Be open and flexible. Establish a plan of action that focuses on strategic conversations with people in your field or in a new arena you’d like to pursue.
- Seek out and surround yourself with supportive, positive relationships from people who will compliment and encourage you as these people will be invaluable for helping you to make new beginnings.
The right outplacement programs can play a key role in helping individuals make transitions successfully and free up previous energy for living more fully in the here and now. Change is inevitable and sometimes outside our control; however most importantly, how we respond to change, reorient, adjust and redefine ourselves is a choice that is within our control.