It is well known that change is the only constant in life and that it is imperative to adapt to change. However today we view change from a different perspective, of how it is vital for us to understand and appreciate how we respond to the challenge of change, which is forever inundating us. To begin with we need to be aware that change is a process and our response is a compulsion, a reaction or an initiative. Our response will often determine the outcome of the effect that change has on us; change either imposes itself on us or we accept it with grace or we nurture it affectionately.
When change is a compulsion it indicates that we did not anticipate it or we ignored it or that we were too stubborn to accept it. If one is able to make peace with the reality that change brings about and even reluctantly accept the change it is possible that one can survive the effects of change. The biggest change is being brought about by the technological revolution. The older generation would psyche themselves into believing that they are not capable of adapting to the technological changes and as a result often feel lonely and isolated. Similarly organizations that did not feel the winds of change often got blown away when the technology revolution gathered momentum. In a fast paced world where the pace of change is in geometric proportions, it is only the people who change at least after the change who can survive. It is imposed and is then the compulsion of the times
When change is a reaction it implies that we are attuned to the happenings around and that one is open to understand, appreciate and gracefully accept the change. The numerous initiatives of NGO’s and governmental agencies to health concerns, ecological concerns, natural disasters, child labor, educational imperatives etc are in many ways changes that a more aware society is keen to highlight. Technology be it in the form of harnessing solar and wind energy or waste disposal or harnessing nuclear power are also changes that nudges us to become more aware and encourages us to quickly adapt and adopt the inevitable. People who change with change will succeed because they quickly reacted to the change they noticed and accepted.
When change is an initiative it is a proactive response to a concern, an opportunity or the creation of something absolutely new. Look around and there are ample problems all crying out for solutions. Those who can visualize these concerns as a possible problem to be solved would take the initiative to find solutions that would ultimately lead to a change. Similarly those who can creatively scan the environment to add value by shaking up the status quo are leveraging the opportunities around. The numerous apps that are mushrooming are a clear sign of how change is becoming an initiative that unlocks value for those who respond proactively. Then there are those who disrupt the existing order with revolutionary ideas and creations. The ATM machines, the credit card revolution, the online payment gateways have turned banking and finance on its head. Similarly the concepts of laser surgery, pain management drugs, robotic manufacturing etc. are initiatives that have redefined the existing world order. Notice that all these people cause the change bringing about a revolution; the Windows, Google, Facebook , Whatsapp are leading the world because they took the initiative to change.
Try these:
- Look around and identify at least 5 possible areas of improvement in the world around you. It is not necessary that you have the skill or competence to proactively make those changes but idea generation itself is a proactive initiative.
- Scan the news papers and websites to identify opportunities for you to take some initiative and give expression to your ideas/ creativity. E.g. Currently there is a short story writing opportunity for aspiring writers being run by a leading newspaper. Similarly there is one leading airline seeking ideas to incorporate in their app.
- Do you have any fresh / new ideas to address the following concerns
- Make citizens avoid the use of plastic bags
- Encourage citizens to segregate waste into wet and dry waste
- Ensure that electricity is not wasted because street lights are not switched off in the day time or water is not wasted because a public tap is leaking or a pipeline has burst.
- Make citizens aware of the status of public interest projects like road widening, building over overbridges, setting up of garbage / sewage disposal plants etc.
This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
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