I was invited to a change management workshop this week. I figured since I am in the business of helping people make a pretty important life change, I ought to go. I have to admit that I felt like a bit of a know-it-all on the way into the session.
And as it turns out, it was a lot of stuff I talk about every day. I suppose having someone remind me to take my own advice was valuable. But the real value was the sidebar conversations with my colleagues. We were in a safe room, and "change" was the topic at hand. People got to express some of their concerns in a way that would not have come up in the regular course of business. There was comfort in realizing that other people have the same concerns.
There was one gem though. The facilitator’s last slide talked about how one person’s attitude can change that of the group. She did not put it quite this way, but basically a grin can fix everything.
This had a pretty dramatic effect on me. I turned to my group and grinned like a cheshire cat. I suspect I looked a bit wild (all teeth and big eyes) but it worked. Their brows unfurled and their arms uncrossed. Laughing causes such an outburst of air that you have no choice but to suck in a big breath of fresh air.
It was awesome.
So, let’s grin and carry on. We’ll get through this.