Today is Moving Day

 

A few days ago I mentioned that my department is moving to a new building on campus. Well... moving day has come.

It's been interesting to watch how everyone is looking at the change. I don't think it matters what type of change it is, adapting to change is sometimes challenging; and how individuals react to it is different.

I love new things. And to be honest, I'm looking forward to the new building (even though I don't really have time to pack up my desk and personal belongings). My wife laughs at me all the time because I'm usually up for a new experience—although they sometimes turn out to be expensive (I'm going to avoid a discussion here about my long-boarding accident last fall and shoulder surgery).

With that in mind, here are a few personality types I've noticed when approaching change:

1. Happy Henrietta: She loves change. Can't get enough of it. Every change is a new adventure and opportunity.
2. Cynical Sam: "This change isn't going to do anything," he says. In Sam's mind, there isn't a change that's going to really make a difference. Change is something to be endured and tolerated. Definitely NOT something to get too excited about.
3. Ambivalent Anthony: To Anthony, one thing is as good as another. Just tell me what you want changed and I'll do it. Change is nothing to get too excited about.
4. Contrary Calvin: Cal isn't really against change per se, he just doesn't want to be inconvenienced by it. "I didn't decide to make this change," he says. "Don't expect me to go out of my way to make everyone else feel good about it."
5. Negative Nellie: Nellie hates change. She knows any change is going to make her life more difficult. "I don't know why we have to make this change," she says. "Everything was fine before. We've been doing things this way for years."

When I started writing I thought I would fall into the Happy Henrietta camp, but I have to admit that depending on the change, I can think of times when I have acted like all of them. The next time I'm involved in a change initiative, I think I'll be less inclined to pigeon-hole the people on my team by expecting them to react the same way they did during the last major change.

Do you have any other personality types you'd like to add?