Home Presentations Psychotherapy Coaching Resources Contact

Resources - Solution Oriented Strategies

New Employment: The Change Model

When you move from a known situation to an unfamiliar situation there are several implications that change will have on your level of functioning; your self concept and your sense of identity. Some of these include the change from feeling confident of knowing what you are doing to a lack of knowledge about this particular situation. Whereas normally you are competent, you may feel incompetent with some of the new tasks or knowledge involved.

Expectations you may have previously established about how other people relate to you or how a job will progress are changed and instead of being certain of what you are doing you may feel uncertain.

Even routines that were well known may now no longer be applicable to the new tasks and you are faced with restructuring your expectations of what you do and how you relate. This means having flexibility is a plus.

Set attitudes will bump up against aspects of the new culture. It takes flexibility to adjust and learn how to fit the expectations inherent in the new culture you are entering. No longer is your world a familiar one. Although, people may be just as pleasant and the job just as rewarding as your previous situation, it feels strange to lose all the old competent efficiencies you developed over time in your previous situation. If you liked your old colleagues you will miss their friendship and no matter how pleasant the new colleagues are to you they are still strangers at first and you have to learn who you can trust and who you can rely on to gossip or criticize. It is a challenge to become the one who needs to ask for information rather than the one able to give he information.

Confidence Competence Certainty Routine Set Expectations Familiarity Known Culture Friends Around You Giving help Discriminating Trusting Incompetence

Lack of Knowledge Uncertainty Unstructured Time Need for Flexibility Strangeness Unknown Culture Strangers Needing Help Lacking a Basis for Discrimination Unsure Who is Trustworthy

Rate yourself on these criteria as to how hard or easy it is for you to adapt to particular kinds of changes. Some people find task changes easy to learn and new relationships difficult, others like to meet new people but hate changes in routine and organization.

Remember: invest most energy on the aspects of the changes that are hardest for you. If you tackle the hardest elements first you will adapt more easily and successfully.