If someone ever asked how I found myself at the same company for over 30 years – my response would be that I have been privileged to be a part of the changes that have taken place in those 30 years. Changes can be scary. I find this a little more apparent now than when I was a young thing in my 20’s. Back then I felt invincible! I had a list of what I was handling – marriage, motherhood, working full time – but it all seemed to come together. Not as seamlessly as I would like, but still, it all just worked.
Today I find myself witnessing changes in the workforce at lighting speed. This is intimidating! The way we do things today isn’t even close to how we did things in the past. Even the “vocabulary” amongst my colleagues leaves me wondering if I have a clue what’s going on!
Fortunately, as scary as change can be – it isn’t. Just by approaching it with a new attitude can take away most of the fear of change! Wrapping yourself around the change by preparing yourself, communicating with your coworkers and visualizing your position with future goals, places you into a positive mindset that makes change a little less terrifying.
The most difficult part of change is being able or willing to modify your plans to accommodate change. This takes a lot of self-realization that things are not how they were yesterday. By recognizing that change is happening, you are more likely to be able to figure out how you fit and how you can bring your best self to the plan. It is also important to know your limits, not be afraid to ask questions and to ask for guidance. Although tenure at the company is an amazing accomplishment, it is still important to realize that new business ideas bring new opportunities – even for the employees who have been around forever!
I like that I’ve seen changes happening in the workforce. I admire the talent that comes through the doors each day. But mostly I like that I’m not doing the same job that I did 30 years ago. I like that I’ve changed along with my career. It just makes seeing what’s happening tomorrow that much more exciting.
Kelly McAleese is the Director of Ad Services
Contact Kelly at [email protected]
