Will Lukang, PMP, CSM, MBA, MASCL

I’d like to start my post with my favorite quote by Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change  you want to see in the world.”  This quote was in our office cafeteria this week.   Change is about the only thing that is guaranteed, together with death and taxes.  It  is timely to talk about this topic as change is again in the air.

Change is a source of fear and anxiety for many people.  It is easy to fall into the trap  of being comfortable in your current situation.  Why change when you can just do  what you’ve been doing for the last four years.  The routine simplifies things, but the  question has to be asked: Is it really good for you?  I’m sure this would be an ages old debate on why keeping with the status quo is good or why change is necessary.  For one, staying as is would render your skills obsolete in a few years.

People react differently to change because of the fear of the unknown.  Some people would dash off and seek greener pasture elsewhere because they don’t believe in the change that is about to happen.   I’ve been in the industry for almost 21 years and it is my experience that grass is always greener on the other side.  Until you cross and see all the brown spots, it often looks nice from afar.  Just like my front lawn, when I’m driving home, I see it from afar and admire how green it is, but as I get closer, I can see brown spots and the smile turns to a frown.

So, what’s my point?  For one, change does give people hope, especially when people are not happy with the past or current situation.  It gives people a chance to dream and imagine what it would be like to see the end state of the change.  Here are some points I’d like to share

• Give people a chance – It is not fair to judge something without really giving it a try.  You can’t say that something is bad until you live through it and experience it.   Experience is our best teacher.
• Learning is only possible if you keep an open mind – if we never push ourselves and embrace the change, we will not grow.  Growing is only possible through patience and acceptance that through change new things can be learned that will make you better.
• Staying the same is not good for you – You can’t expect different results by doing the same thing over and over.  Staying the same means that you’ll be left behind.

 Acknowledging the change is the first step.  Embrace the change and give it a  chance.   Who knows what you will learn from the journey and experience that  you’ll gain along the way.  Remember that everyone deserves a chance.  Just like  when we were first seeking employment.  Imagine if no one gave us a chance, how  could we gain experience?   With change comes opportunities, by keeping an open  mind, you’ll see opportunity and achieve greater things.  Just keep in mind that  change could be slow, therefore patience is really important.  The next time change  happens, don’t think about seeking another opportunity elsewhere.  Listen and give  it a chance – you never know what will happen.