Being Change Ready: Practice Makes Perfect
Even the most resilient people experience setbacks. Being resilient is about having the ability to bounce back from difficult situations and conditions. Resiliency is also about anticipating a challenge and meeting it head on, even after being knocked down. Getting back up takes courage and practice.
Crowley employees share their experience about the actions they take when facing new challenges in their roles. Following the next three actions may serve as a guide when you’re practicing to become more resilient and yield high performance.
1. TRY: Courageously try something new.
For example, the new normal is to wear a mask at work or when required, which might need shifting your mindset just a bit in order to be successful at doing it. Try being out front, ushering the change and encouraging others to do the same. Be courageous. Be bold. Be a champion of the change.
“Change is an opportunity to grow; this makes everyday challenges a gift to be used in that progression. I’m challenged daily by learning unique aspects of the business that require me to try new things. My approach is to expect the unexpected, but also stay sharp in the mundane. That is why it is essential to find the balance of remaining fluid and enduring, while having people who can support you.” – Lindy Taylor / Manager, Terminal (Alaska)
2. LEARN: Actively learn through experimentation.
When tackling new problems use successes and failures as learning beacons. Seek out new ways to grow and be challenged. When we learn, we grow. From the growth comes continuous change. From that change comes new learning. From that new learning comes new opportunities. It’s all connected.
“Learning on the go is critical. I continually change my approach to learn more and understand my customers better. As a sales executive at Crowley, I’m always looking out for new ways to provide innovative and creative solutions and do them right. Being open to learning broadens my perspective to focus not just on the offer but ultimately on what’s best for Crowley’s customers.” – Rodrigo Ugarte / Executive, Sales (El Salvador)
3. MODIFY: Adjust your next approach based on past results.
Leverage your self-awareness using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into strengths and weaknesses. A brief pause at the end of the day to consider what went well and what didn’t is all it takes. Self-explore using the below questions at the end of your day:
- How did the day go? (What success did I experience? / What challenges did I endure?)
- What did I learn today? (About myself? / About others?)
- What do I plan to do — differently or the same — tomorrow?
“I choose to embrace a flexible leadership style to match my customers’ tendencies. Clients usually have a collaborative mindset with the shipyard, so my support is more cooperative and laid-back based on their expectations. I reflect on less successful past experiences and combine them with my team’s feedback to modify my style and become a higher-level performer.” – Patrick Sperry / Manager, Construction (Louisiana)
Practice takes time, and so does change, but once you’re able to frame your thinking and take any of these three actions, you will not only see your resiliency increase, but you will also be supporting the development of other competencies like managing ambiguity, self-awareness and nimble learning.
Written by Crowley’s Organizational Change Management Team. To learn more about Crowley’s culture and career opportunities, please visit our Careers page.