If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the changes that are going on around you, it is okay. The pandemic is causing enough turmoil in our lives all by itself, but of course there are other changes occurring in our unit and across campus, like FlexWork, Career Tracks, IT transformation, Hub and Spoke, reimagining HR, Ascend, tiered response to public safety, and Bruin Budget Model.
Change is the only real constant, and it‘s present in all aspects of our lives. We often look at change as negative, but change can also be an exciting opportunity for improvement.
What people often fear is not the change itself, but rather the unknown about what the change will bring and how it will impact them. Therefore, our goal as individuals and as an organization is to make sure that we are communicating the benefits of the change (why it is occurring), not just the change itself (what is changing).
For many in our organization who participate in continuous process improvements (CPIs), you have likely found the process to be engaging and transformative in the way you look at situations. The goal of these efforts, which we have embraced throughout Administration, is to provide incremental changes that benefit the employee providing the service, as well as the individual receiving it.
Administration managers recently participated in a leadership forum focusing on managing changes around us. Part of the forum addressed emotional intelligence with a presentation by guest speaker Dr. Jorge Cherbosque, co-director UCLA Staff and Faculty Counseling Center. Dr. Cherbosque spoke about skills that support the development of eudaimonia (happiness) as we reimagine work; 1) creating strong and genuine connections at work, 2) building psychological safety and cultivating trust, 3) embracing purpose and meaning in building resilience, 4) understand the human reaction to change, and 5) cultivating joy, hope and positive narratives in the workplace. I encourage everyone to watch the presentation if you haven’t already done so.
Anyone struggling with changes at work or in their personal life are encouraged to reach out to Dr. Cherbosque or the other wonderful counselors via the Staff and Faculty Counseling Center website or by calling 310-794-0245.
Change is all around us, and we have the power to help transform the way we serve the campus community in a way that can truly be exciting and bring eudaimonia. Psychologist Shane Lopez has identified four beliefs that hopeful people share, which can help us all embrace change; 1) the future will be better than the present, 2) I have the power to make it happen, 3) there are many paths to my goals, and 4) none of them is free of obstacles.
I am hopeful you find your eudaimonia as we embrace CPIs and the opportunities for changes around us.
