A Silver Lining to Working Remotely

by Deborah Rinner, VP, Chief Learning Officer

Is the virtual organization we have had to step into these past few weeks due to the virus really a new thing? Martin Mickos, CEO of HackerOne, shares an analogy that is helpful to think about in an article titled “8 Strategies to Set Up Remote Work in the Time of Coronavirus Outbreak”.

Can You Get These True or False Questions Right?

Change Quiz

1. 1. T/F When introduced to a change, focusing on the future is the best tactic.
   2. T/F In times of change it is best to focus on fact over emotion.
   3. T/F The number one reason change initiatives fail is that we don’t understand what it involves or requires.
   4. T/F A technique to help navigate change is to borrow from the past, thinking of successes you have had as you navigate through a new change.
   5. T/F Feeling overwhelmed, low energy and low morale are not common effects of change for well-adjusted people.

Have Your Answers Ready?

1. False: Change begins with the ending of something, a loss. It might be loss of a process, a way of doing a task, or the loss of a relationship. In change we must focus first on what we are leaving behind. Dignifying the ending and what we are leaving behind is the first step to navigating change effectively.
2. False: People are emotional creatures, and during times of change people might demonstrate fear, confusion, anger, sadness or any similar emotion. We must expect and plan for emotion, and for find productive ways to process them.
3. True: Change is a process through which we let go, get used to what we left behind and slowly move toward the new until we finally arrive at the new state of being.
4. True: We have experienced many changes in life if we reflect on it. Borrowing from past successes with regard to changes we have made in the past can help us be successful in navigating change in the present.
5. False: These are all common effects of change. If we recognize ahead of time these feelings are normal, we can lessen their hold and the anxiety we may feel because of them.