WHY CHANGE & UNCERTAINTY IS HARDER FOR SOME PEOPLE

Change occurs in the workplace every day. Whether it’s in management and accepting a new culture, moving offices or an important person moving into a new company, like it or not, change happens. 

With new technologies evolving the way we work, being adaptable and flexible becomes more important than ever, moving forward. But it’s easier said than done, especially for some. But why is change harder for some people? 

One word: Personalities. 

Personality traits influence how we deal with change. People tend to display a reactive or proactive style, or maybe reject it altogether – highly responsive to the situation, taking initiative at the outset or simply avoiding it. People who find change harder, can be misidentified as disinterested or lazy. It’s not that at all. They simply don’t know how to cope. 

We know that emotional stability and ambition are traits that had the greatest, positive influence of an employees’ ability to adapt effectively. Ambition and intuitive qualities also help individuals embrace change to a greater extent than others. Your dominant ‘Eagles’ will lead the change, with the ‘Peacocks’ right behind them, vying for the attention of the group. But what about the quiet, soft ‘Dove’ types or the wise ‘Owls’ who loves facts and systems? It’s not as easy for them. 

Learn about your employees via a character analysis. 

Use our suite of personality tests. 

This is why we believe our profiling tools are needed in workplaces more than ever. When you do a personality assessment with your team, everyone’s behaviour starts to make much more sense. The results can help solve some of the most pressing social adaptation issues in your workplace. 

It’s also important to understand the different types of change that occur. Change can be categorised into three arms: developmental, transitional, and transformational. 

Developmental change is the simplest kind. It involves what you’re currently doing, rather than creating something new. This makes it the easiest to accept. It could mean improving or updating an old process. 

Transitional change adds something new, replacing the old. It requires the need to emotionally detach, which can be difficult for hypersensitive people. This is especially hard for employees who have used those old ways for years, maybe decades. 

Transformational change is far more difficult. Why? Because of the unknown (sorry Doves, we know you love security). In this change, new mindsets and behaviours are required. Without these internal shifts of mindset and culture first, the ‘external’ implementation of new structures, systems, processes or technology aren’t as effective. 

Minimise resistance in a team full of different personalities by first understanding them. To help your people understand why they’re struggling with change, we encourage you to do a fill in your details for a free sample of the Tick personality profiling tool.