Being ready means being ready for change, whether we plan for it or it is thrust upon us. The things that nudge us towards change are our wanting for something different because either the current situation isn’t working or we see and believe in the promise of something better. Because change can be scary, unnerving, risky and even exciting, the degrees of readiness to embark upon change vary. This is the case whether you are an organization or individual.
For individuals, you recognize that something needs to change, but you are not quite sure either how to change or if it will be worth the fear and skepticism you will need to overcome to take that first step. You convince yourself that things aren’t so bad or doubt that things could be better. You take a wait and see approach that lingers for weeks, months and sometimes years.
For organizations, change can be culturally and financially risky yet is necessary given the current business climate. Ensuring that you have the right coupling of roles and people is essential. However organizations hesitate to invest in building and developing their workforce. They too convince themselves they can squeak by for just one more quarter before making any changes.
Readiness relates to preparedness for change. Being prepared is first about having a bigger vision about what you want the future to look like. It is also about understanding what options lay before you. And lastly readiness is about creating a plan to move forward, even if you don’t employ that plan immediately…..at least you are ready.
