How to Build Adaptability and Manage Change with Emotional Intelligence

As a leader of change, it is important to recognize how change will impact the emotional experience of an employee. One way to understand change is in terms of situation and transition.

Change is situational. 

  • It is a disruption of expectations (e.g. new worksite, manager, roles, policy, processes, technology, etc.).
  • Every change, even the most longed-for, requires leaving something behind and letting go. 
Transitional change is psychological.
  • The process people must go through to come to terms with the new situation.
  • Requires letting go of something, grieving in some way, experiencing feelings of loss, and processing those effectively in order to move forward.
  • Requires time and, since it is experienced internally, it may be invisible or hard to observe in others.

How to change when change is difficult:

What is the risk of changing?

  1. Too expensive
  2. Too difficult
  3. No one will agree to support this change
  4. Not the way we do things at our organization
  5. I don’t have enough time
  6. I am not empowered to make this change

Think about it:
1. Write the # or something else that is a risk to make your desired change.

2. What are the first steps you need to take to make this change?

  • Be open to a new normal
  • Ask questions and model the way forward
  • Identify your action steps – focus on what you can control

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About the Author

Bobi Seredich is a recognized speaker, author, trainer, and successful entrepreneur specializing in leadership development. She has spent over 25 years of her career dedicated to creating, directing, writing, and presenting leadership programs for top companies in the U.S. and around the world.

Bobi is the founder of the Southwest Institute for Emotional Intelligence and Managing Partner of EQ Inspirations. In 2001, she founded Equanimity, Inc. also known as EQ Speakers,a speakers’ bureau and leadership training company. It quickly became a top speaker bureau that booked hundreds of speakers with large Fortune 500 clients. EQ Speakers was sold in 2012. Her book Courage Does Not Always Roar – Ordinary Women with Extraordinary Courage, was published by Simple Truths in the spring of 2010. The book is a collection of her experiences and stories of women who have had the courage to overcome very difficult life events.

Her passion is to guide individuals and organizations to a higher performance level through her own business knowledge, inspirational stories, and leadership emotional intelligence training. Bobi lives in Phoenix, AZ with her husband, Roy, and 11-year old twins, Alex and Gia.

Connect with Bobi by emailing bobi@swiei.com.