Managing at the Speed of Change

The Changing World

The world is changing so quickly that no one remains unaffected by change, yet most people find change confusing, even overwhelming, and they have not developed the personal traits that would allow them to deal with it successfully.

Human beings have a basic need to control their environments, but change can disrupt your sense of control. In addition, everyone has a preferred pace at which he or she best integrates change. If change comes too fast to suit your natural rhythm, you will exhibit symptoms of dysfunction. You may feel intimidated, surprised, betrayed, emotionally unbalanced and even physically ill.

Think of these sorts of responses as “beasts” that are attacking your life. Defeat these beasts by learning how change works. It’s not a mystery; it progresses according to eight understandable principles. Seven of these concepts lead up to and support the primary principle: resilience.

Principle 1: “The Nature of Change”

In 1973, Alvin Toffler wrote a prescient book called Future Shock. These days, the entire culture suffers from a case of shock. Modern changes are larger, more complicated and faster than ever. In the past...