Change: The love of variety and constant newness in one’s experience.
Change is inevitable. Our parents one day grow old, we no longer fit into the mini skirt we wore in high school, a new job opportunity may cause us to leave our family and friends and the seasons weave in and out every year. Although these changes can be exciting for some, there is no denying that for low scorers in change, change is scary. It asks us to venture out of our comfort zones and forces us to grapple with new and unknown situations, feelings, and environments, which is not a natural tendency of someone with a low change score. However, little by little you can encourage them to push their comfort zone a little bit and they’ll find that they begin to grow in the process, while still maintaining a nice balance of the continuity and depth in their life that they enjoy. Let’s take a look at some of the characteristics of someone with a low change score:
Low Change
Meet Christine. Christine has been working at the same company for 10 years and knows how to do everything. She has established a comfortable routine in her work day and gets stressed when people interrupt her tried and true process. When someone in the office suggests upgrading to new software or moving to a bigger office space, Christine can become overwhelmed and anxious and would rather stay where she’s at, doing what she knows how to do. She’s not one to take spontaneous trips and instead needs a lot of time to plan and decide.
Christine is an example of someone who likely has a low change score. She:
- Enjoys stability and continuity in her world
- Is most comfortable with the tried and true
- Thinks things through before making a major decision
- Values security
- Is steady and deliberate
- Is self controlled and genuinely dependable
- Tends to avoid risk
- Is motivated by routine
- Is methodical
Tips for Managing Low Scorers:
People with a low change score can provide a nice level of continuity and consistency to a business; If everyone was constantly trying to change things everyday it would be a little chaotic. However, sometimes when these people are too resistant to change, it can hinder innovation and collaboration and hold the company back from trying new things that may take them to the next level. We’ve found to achieve personal growth, a certain amount of relaxing into change and stepping outside of your comfort zone is necessary. After all, change and transformation is an inevitable, natural principle of life and when it is embraced it can relieve a lot of the suffering and anxiety we experience in our daily life. If we can truly learn to see the beauty in change, we would not spend so much energy fighting that which is inevitable. That same energy could be channeled towards learning how to go with the flow and embracing the new scenery that appears in front of us every moment, which can be a very beneficial practice for low scorers in change.
Here are some ways to manage and encourage the growth of someone with a low change score:
- Encourage them to maintain an open, receptive attitude towards innovation and new ideas. Their first inclination is often to dismiss or negatively view change. However, instead of dwelling in the fear and discomfort they may experience when faced with changes, encourage them to think about the positive things that may come as a result of it: instantly going to these negative thoughts, encourage them to think about:
- What doors will open for you?
- What options and possibilities lie ahead?
- How can you grow as an individual?
- Give them as much advance notice as possible when changes are coming. They need time to adapt.
- Partner them from time to time with a high-energy, creative type with the stated goal of helping each other understand and appreciate one another.
- Encourage them to schedule some spontaneity into their life on a regular basis and reflect on those experiences.
