Change is essential to any growth process and being able to deal with change accelerates development. It’s truly fabulous to see change in action. 3 impressive people provide powerful case studies on the paradox of the change process and how they successfully navigated the process.
The change process is not unlike the changing seasons, if you are going through a period of slow growth, with no apparent growth a ‘winter season’ you may find it hard to envisage a summer season of growth and abundance. In change management there are tried and tested methodologies for managing the change cycle which acknowledge the process as complex, for organisations and individuals.
The most difficult aspect is staying positive and keeping positive when the going gets tough. If you’ve ever looked out a cold grey park or garden in bleak November and then looked at the same scene in June, you can see that stunning array of colours and beauty in June that transform the bleak greyness of the winter garden. In business terms the company with low funds, low profile, low market share can become the major competitor in its field. In personal development a season of ‘go slow’ can give way to a season of productivity and success.
Case study 1
Martha had been working for years as an HR advisor a role she felt she had outgrown. She knew she had to change and after, 15 years of planning, saving she set up her new business with a determination not to settle for mediocrity and take a risk. The process was not easy leaving security for insecurity, months of low or no income but she stayed the course, 7 years later her business is flourishing.
Case study 2
Alice left her native country looking for a new start after being overworked and with no time for a personal life. Coming to a new country was a bold new step that she didn’t take lightly. She did not come armed with huge funds, what she did have was a strong work ethic and a personable character. Some years later, after facing temperamental employers, unemployment, loneliness, and lack of hope, she is building a lifestyle based on varied income streams and work life balance.
Case study 3
Diana left her work after over a decade of feeling undermined and underestimated in office management in the city. Promotions were always suggested but then she was regarded as 'not quite ready' or good enough to get to the next level. Then she found micromanagement killed her creativity and drive. She tolerated this for another 2 years. Then eventually she was so undermined and depressed she left. All she had was ‘her work ethic and a dream’. In her heart she knew she could do more. She is now, an acclaimed entrepreneur and multiple award holder running a successful organisation.
These case studies show that perseverance through each challenging season ultimately leads to a pathway that is more aligned to purpose.
