There are two things that we encounter in life that are inevitable; at some point in your life’s journey, you will find yourself faced with these two things: the call for change, and feelings of ambivalence associated with those changes.
Perhaps you yourself are going through a situation that necessitates changes and this brings about inner feelings of conflict or uncertainty. Or perhaps you are a practitioner, helping to guide clients through changes and their feelings of ambivalence. Or maybe you are a leader attempting to ease the uncertainties of your employees during the transitional period that comes along with an organizational change such as a merger or deployment of a modernized, state-of-the-art computer system.
Regardless of the types of changes you are currently faced with, and despite the magnitude of these changes, there are tried-and-true methods that have been developed for making change (and the ambivalent feelings that so often accompany it) easier. Note that I did not say, “easy”—but easier.
Within this book, I discuss strategies that have been used by a variety of professionals that I have trained in guiding others through change and resolving ambivalence. If you are a service provider trying to guide the people you serve towards specific behavioural changes, or a leader trying to help your organization steer through diverse emotions related to workplace changes, you are not alone. If you are looking for guidance as you navigate through the challenges of change and question whether it is possible to actually influence said change then I invite you to explore the strategies in this book, When they Choose Change.
The 21st cen
tury is a new era, and in light of how cultural, educational, and workplace norms from the past have failed in the face of the rapid advances that typify this era, there is clearly a call for new norms: norms that will help organizations survive and thrive in this exciting time. There is a demand for revolution with how we approach the needs in today’s workplace.
Using 19 and 20th century management tactics has led to a disgruntled workforce and a skills gap, neither of which can serve an organization in any sort of positive capacity. Thus, the 21st century calls for organizations to use a new set of business strategies and integrate innovative cultural, educational, and workplace standards.
In order to ride the wave of the future, it is necessary to evolve and, in so doing, leave the ineffective methods behind in favour of innovative approaches. Author Roxanne Sawatzky will guide in you in learning how to address the skills gap in today’s 21st century workplace.