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Personal Change PlanHow can you help yourself transition through change?It’s not unusual to have a negative reaction when change is introduced at work, and there are severalcommon and very good reasons for that:● Previous changes have gone poorly● Changes have been announced in the past but didn’t happen● Changes with promises of big outcomes were made but fell well short of expectations● You feel like the impact to you and to others is not understood; you don’t know how to make thatclear or what you’re empowered to do about it● You are annoyed because rather than optimizing your work, you now must think very basicallyabout how to do your work● You feel like a beginner, rather than the accomplished professional you’ve worked to becomeIf this is you, it’s perfectly normal. While you may not play a part in deciding what is changing you candecide how you want to experience the change. This tool steps you through questions to help youunderstand the change impact, your reactions, your vision of the ideal future, and what you want thechange process experience to be like for you.1 © 2020 The Change Decision

Assessing the ImpactAnswer these questions to get a better understanding of the impact of the change to you.1. What do you need to do differently?2. How big a change is that from your perspective? Why?3. How surprised are you by the change? How surprised are you by your reaction? Why?4. What do others want you to do ideally? What would make it easier for you to do that?5. What does that tell you about what’s important to you?The answers to these questions will help you understand your reaction and what you can doconstructively to make progress.What is the negative perspective of this change?When change is introduced, it’s natural to think of it through the lens of a worst-case scenario. Peopleevaluate the threat of something new to determine if there’s a risk and how to best self-protect. Thequestions below will help you see the concerns you have:1. What is the worst-case scenario you want to avoid?2. What risks do you want to defend against?3. Does it feel like the change is happening to you? If so, how? Why?4. How is this change hard for you?5. What is the negative impact you will have to accept?What is the positive perspective of this change?With almost every change there’s a positive perspective, even in changes that are difficult. Initially, thisidea may seem odd but when change is underway, the old rules don’t work and the new rules don’t workyet. This in-between time presents an opportunity to create improvements. The questions below will helpyou see these possibilities:1. What are all of the potential outcomes that would be great achievements for you and others withthis change? Even if they seem unlikely right now, what could they be?2. What are the ideal outcomes you would like to go after?3. What have you been wanting to change in the past that could be part of this change?4. In what ways is this change easy for you?5. What is a professional or personal improvement you could achieve through this change?VisioningUse this section to create a vision of your transition.1. Imagine yourself in six months thriving in the new situation. What’s happening? What are youdoing? Describe your ideal future.2. What excites you about this vision?3. What must be true to make this happen? Of this, what can you control? What could you influence?2 © 2020 The Change Decision

4. What do you need most to make this transition easier for yourself?5. What could you do to get more of that?PlanningWhen you have a better understanding of the impact and your vision, you can put together a plan to helpyourself make the transition.Near-Term GoalA way to achieve your vision is to create small goals to get yourself there.1. What can you do inside a week toward the vision you have in mind for yourself?2. What are the steps you need to take to achieve that one-week goal? What are the deadlines forthese steps?3. What help will you need from others?4. What could get in the way? What could you do now to prevent that from happening?1-Week Goal:StepsDeadlineResources Needed12345Longer-Term Goal1. What can you do inside a month toward the vision you have in mind for yourself?2. What are the steps you need to take to achieve that one-month goal? What are the deadlines forthe first few steps?3. What help will you need from others?4. What could get in the way? What could you do now or in the near future to prevent that fromhappening?1-Month Goal:StepsDeadlineResources Needed123 © 2020 The Change Decision

345Transition PlanningIf your transition requires that you stop performing current responsibilities and start performing newresponsibilities, it’s useful to create three task lists: Current Responsibilities, Transition Responsibilities,and Future Responsibilities. When you see your tasks in this way, you can see the amount and type ofwork you have ahead and make tradeoffs.This view can also have a motivating effect; for example, you’ll see how as you complete your current andtransition tasks you can spend more time on your future tasks and vision.1. List the tasks in each of the three categories.2. How do you feel overall about each category of responsibilities/tasks? Do you have a differentfeeling associated with each category? Why?3. What could you complete so that your work is a more positive experience for you?Current ResponsibilitiesTransition ResponsibilitiesFuture Responsibilities12345With any change it’s important to treat yourself and everyone involved with respect. Change isoften a stressful experience and you may not be at your best as you process the negative andpositive implications. That’s also true for your colleagues. You and others are reacting to thechange in a way that is perfectly reasonable from your point of view given your lifeexperience. That doesn’t mean you and others are free to treat each other badly. On thecontrary, when change is happening you have an opportunity to strengthen your relationships.Try to stay in a curious mindset about your reaction and the reaction of others rather than ajudgment-first mindset.How you think, how you feel, and how well you take care of yourself during this time matters toa lot of people, including those in your professional and personal life. Your ripple effect isenormous. Give yourself and others grace.4 © 2020 The Change Decision

One more thought:● How do you want to feel during thischange process?● What would most help you feel thatway?● How does this align with yourvalues? How does it align with yourprofessional long-term goals? Howdoes it align with the impact youwant to have on others? How does italign with how you want to live yourlife?5 © 2020 The Change Decision