Just when you thought everything had stabilized in your shop, you were on top of everything and could coast for a while ... WHAM! You get hit in the face with another major change. Just what you needed.
Change is no surprise to media professionals in the public sector. Our technology changes in front of our eyes. What was cutting edge yesterday can be old school today.
Our staff changes, too. Veteran team members leave and are replaced with rookies -- or not replaced at all.
The customers we serve change, as do their needs and requirements. Our organizations change with new leadership, new directives, and new political influences. Our funding base changes with different strings attached to the tax dollars that support our programs. Even we change as our needs for personal, professional, and financial fulfillment constantly evolve.
So, what do you do about this state of constant change that makes us crazy? You can resist change, deny its impact, and become its victim. Another option is to reluctantly accept change and learn to survive it. Or you can embrace change, become its agent in your organization, and thrive on it.
Proactivity Trumps Reactivity
You can't really know what will change next -- or when or why. But if you assume that everything will change all the time yet unpredictably and when you least expect it, you probably won't be far off target.
If the last major change caught you by surprise, don't let the next one surprise you. Have a "Plan B" and maybe even a "Plan C" for every component that can impact your job and your career. "Anticipate and adapt" should be your mantra.
Anticipate change in the technology you use to do your job. Keep abreast of it by reading trade publications like this one, by attending trade shows like GVExpo, and by networking with your colleagues and counterparts.
But remember that new technology only adds value to your shop if it helps you do what you do faster, better, smarter, and especially cheaper. Make smart decisions regarding capital improvements.
Think like a manager and a financial analyst, not like a creative media geek. Look for value added and ROI. If these are foreign concepts to you, part of your evolving professional fulfillment should be to learn them. Not interested in all this financial stuff? Wrong answer.
Anticipate change in your team. Stay connected enough with your staff to know where they want to go professionally and when they've realistically outgrown their jobs. The more open and sincere your communication with them on this subject is, the less likely you'll be surprised when they leave. Always know where to find your next editor, PA, or shooter. Keep a current file of resumes of likely candidates and a separate file of appropriate freelancers.
Regularly attend professional association events to meet people seeking jobs or customers. Invest the time to conduct informational interviews with promising people. Develop relationships with area colleges if you can consider entry-level hires. Cross-train your team so they can be more flexible and responsive. Too busy for all this? Think again.
Become A Futurist
Waiting around for the phone to ring is an easy trap. After all, they have to use you; you're the media department. Whether they have to use you or not, evolve from order takers to valued business partners. Think like a successful entrepreneur.
Regularly interact with your primary internal customers, especially your champions and advocates. Help them identify information problems in their departments that your resources can help solve. Look for opportunities in their relative strategic plans. Educate them so they become savvy users of communication resources. Help them view solving communication problems as investments in their success, not just expenses. Adapting to change because of a growing demand for your services is a good problem to have.
All these strategies for anticipating and proactively managing change can certainly add significantly to your already overflowing plate. But you have to make time for taking the long view of potential changes that can impact your whole organization. While you don't have the time or skills to become an expert on these issues, you can regularly talk with those leaders who are.
Identify as many "what if" scenarios as you can, such as "What if we get a new mayor from a different party. How could that impact what we do here?" Then, brainstorm with your bosses about alternative strategies.
Try to participate in a top-level SWOT analysis, where senior executives identify the organization's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. If they don't do a SWOT, suggest it. Talk to the key senior executives who influence what happens in your shop. Even if nothing tangible comes out of these conversations, you'll certainly impress the big dogs with your focus and vision. That alone should be worth the trip.
It's a given that change is inevitable in your shop and your organization. You can resist it and become its victim, accept it and survive it, or embrace it and become an agent of change. Choose wisely. Your career and mental health depend on it.
Phil Stella runs Effective Training & Communication, Inc. and is a veteran video writer/producer, communication skill trainer & speaker. Contact him at (440) 449-0356 or etcpjs@aol.com.
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