we just want the people to focus on what is true about the changes as it relates to them. 3. The next question relates to now you know some facts, how do they impact you personally? This is just getting people to ‘get real’. Do these changes actually impact you, or are they impacting others and you are ‘projecting’ those changes on you? It pays to understand and be sure.

4. There are some other questions in between, but for this article lets focus on this … are you in denial about anything you see and what do you fear? Here you get the folks to come clean and stop kidding themselves.

5. The next couple questions focus the individual on

“Life is a movie and you’re the star, give it a happy ending.” Joan Rivers the actress and comedienne said that and it really applies to dealing with and coping with change in your organization and life. I learned about this as a Marine sniper in the jungles of Vietnam. I might have found myself there as part of the United States Marine Corp but what I made of the experience was up to me. It is serving me to this day.

When you are leading or managing change the people under your charge will have varying reactions to the changes taking place. Few will embrace it out of the blocks, many will struggle. You can help. As popular speaker Larry Winget says, “Shut up, stop whining and get a life!”

The very first thing you must help people do, in a kind, yet straightforward way, is to help them go home and look in the mirror. Each of us needs to have a stop kidding yourself day. Teach them to ask, “Where are my present practices taking me?” That means that if I continue to react and behave in the way I am, regarding these changes – where will I be?

You see people need to understand that once you launch the ‘change’ it is going to proceed in that direction … the choice is in how they react. Understanding this principle came early to me. My first patrol in Nam as a sniper came with a Force Reconnaissance team in the mountains near Laos. We planned a ten day patrol and my partner and I took just enough c-rations for the ten days, barely. We didn’t want to carry the extra weight.

Well, at the end of ten days, for whatever reason, the choppers didn’t come to get us. A tough Recon sergeant, knowing we were out of food, came by and said, “No whining.” It was three days before the choppers came … we didn’t eat for three days. Now that was change, but we lived and we learned and we changed. The good people in your organization will learn too.

Understanding this first hand has led me to create the first key to helping people embrace change and that is to decide whether you want to stay with the organization. I created a test I give people in my How to Cope workshop that is designed to make them face the fact that things are changing and they can get with the changes or they should lead. It’s just a fact.

The test goes something like this …

1. The first question is do you still have a job? If you don’t have a job then move on, stop the test and focus on finding a new one. Your change is different.

2. The second question is what are the facts that you know to be true as they relate to you? We all know all the horriblizing that goes on during change, here, we just want the people to focus on what is true about the changes as it relates to them. 3. The next question relates to now you know some facts, how do they impact you personally? This is just getting people to ‘get real’. Do these changes actually impact you, or are they impacting others and you are ‘projecting’ those changes on you? It pays to understand and be sure.

4. There are some other questions in between, but for this article lets focus on this … are you in denial about anything you see and what do you fear? Here you get the folks to come clean and stop kidding themselves.

5. The next couple questions focus the individual on

t says, “Shut up, stop whining and get a life!”

The very first thing you must help people do, in a kind, yet straightforward way, is to help them go home and look in the mirror. Each of us needs to have a stop kidding yourself day. Teach them to ask, “Where are my present practices taking me?” That means that if I continue to react and behave in the way I am, regarding these changes – where will I be?

You see people need to understand that once you launch the ‘change’ it is going to proceed in that direction … the choice is in how they react. Understanding this principle came early to me. My first patrol in Nam as a sniper came with a Force Reconnaissance team in the mountains near Laos. We planned a ten day patrol and my partner and I took just enough c-rations for the ten days, barely. We didn’t want to carry the extra weight.

Well, at the end of ten days, for whatever reason, the choppers didn’t come to get us. A tough Recon sergeant, knowing we were out of food, came by and said, “No whining.” It was three days before the choppers came … we didn’t eat for three days. Now that was change, but we lived and we learned and we changed. The good people in your organization will learn too.

Understanding this first hand has led me to create the first key to helping people embrace change and that is to decide whether you want to stay with the organization. I created a test I give people in my How to Cope workshop that is designed to make them face the fact that things are changing and they can get with the changes or they should lead. It’s just a fact.

The test goes something like this …

1. The first question is do you still have a job? If you don’t have a job then move on, stop the test and focus on finding a new one. Your change is different.

2. The second question is what are the facts that you know to be true as they relate to you? We all know all the horriblizing that goes on during change, here, we just want the people to focus on what is true about the changes as it relates to them. 3. The next question relates to now you know some facts, how do they impact you personally? This is just getting people to ‘get real’. Do these changes actually impact you, or are they impacting others and you are ‘projecting’ those changes on you? It pays to understand and be sure.

4. There are some other questions in between, but for this article lets focus on this … are you in denial about anything you see and what do you fear? Here you get the folks to come clean and stop kidding themselves.

5. The next couple questions focus the individual on

rce Reconnaissance team in the mountains near Laos. We planned a ten day patrol and my partner and I took just enough c-rations for the ten days, barely. We didn’t want to carry the extra weight.

Well, at the end of ten days, for whatever reason, the choppers didn’t come to get us. A tough Recon sergeant, knowing we were out of food, came by and said, “No whining.” It was three days before the choppers came … we didn’t eat for three days. Now that was change, but we lived and we learned and we changed. The good people in your organization will learn too.

Understanding this first hand has led me to create the first key to helping people embrace change and that is to decide whether you want to stay with the organization. I created a test I give people in my How to Cope workshop that is designed to make them face the fact that things are changing and they can get with the changes or they should lead. It’s just a fact.

The test goes something like this …

1. The first question is do you still have a job? If you don’t have a job then move on, stop the test and focus on finding a new one. Your change is different.

2. The second question is what are the facts that you know to be true as they relate to you? We all know all the horriblizing that goes on during change, here, we just want the people to focus on what is true about the changes as it relates to them. 3. The next question relates to now you know some facts, how do they impact you personally? This is just getting people to ‘get real’. Do these changes actually impact you, or are they impacting others and you are ‘projecting’ those changes on you? It pays to understand and be sure.

4. There are some other questions in between, but for this article lets focus on this … are you in denial about anything you see and what do you fear? Here you get the folks to come clean and stop kidding themselves.

5. The next couple questions focus the individual on

mbrace change and that is to decide whether you want to stay with the organization. I created a test I give people in my How to Cope workshop that is designed to make them face the fact that things are changing and they can get with the changes or they should lead. It’s just a fact.

The test goes something like this …

1. The first question is do you still have a job? If you don’t have a job then move on, stop the test and focus on finding a new one. Your change is different.

2. The second question is what are the facts that you know to be true as they relate to you? We all know all the horriblizing that goes on during change, here, we just want the people to focus on what is true about the changes as it relates to them. 3. The next question relates to now you know some facts, how do they impact you personally? This is just getting people to ‘get real’. Do these changes actually impact you, or are they impacting others and you are ‘projecting’ those changes on you? It pays to understand and be sure.

4. There are some other questions in between, but for this article lets focus on this … are you in denial about anything you see and what do you fear? Here you get the folks to come clean and stop kidding themselves.

5. The next couple questions focus the individual on

we just want the people to focus on what is true about the changes as it relates to them. 3. The next question relates to now you know some facts, how do they impact you personally? This is just getting people to ‘get real’. Do these changes actually impact you, or are they impacting others and you are ‘projecting’ those changes on you? It pays to understand and be sure.

4. There are some other questions in between, but for this article lets focus on this … are you in denial about anything you see and what do you fear? Here you get the folks to come clean and stop kidding themselves.

5. The next couple questions focus the individual on how they are behaving and feeling about the changes. You cannot change that which you do not acknowledge. The focus has to be on getting real and doing something about it.

6. The last focuses on this question … is your situation hopeful or helpless? While this needs further explanation, if it is hopeful to you, then stay and work it out. If it is helpless … get out now.

The key to helping your people move to embracing change and not fighting it is to get them to make a choice, based on their answers, whether to go or stay. If someone simply can’t get with the program then for their own mental and physical health they should choose to go. It should be civil, you should help them, but they should not stay.

On the other hand if someone chooses to stay, as most will, then they need to understand that while you want and need feedback on the process, resistance is not acceptable. It is important that this message be delivered in the beginning of the change process. Otherwise, have fun in the carnage that will follow.

Ed Kugler