| | | | | the job is because of our negative attitude about the |
| | | | | job and life in general. A negative attitude will rear its |
| How to Endure Difficult Changes in the Workplace | | | | ugly head in many different forms on the job such |
| | | | | things as indifference about the tasks, tardiness, |
| Have you ever been in a position where you felt that | | | | absenteeism, and quite simply insubordination. Again, |
| you were unproductive? Has this same position | | | | we always have to be mindful that your manager and |
| caused you to be unhappy about coming to work? | | | | your manager’s manager (supervisor) are required |
| Have you ever been in a position in your career where | | | | to observe your production numbers and are ready to |
| you found yourself always complaining about the job, | | | | make a decision accordingly. They review the number |
| the environment or even your boss? Then, all of a | | | | of days you’re absent, the number of customer |
| sudden your immediate supervisor calls you into his | | | | complaints on you, the number of times you’re late |
| office and informs you that you were being moved | | | | and number of incomplete files on your desk. For |
| into a different department within the company and | | | | upper management, more often than not, they’re |
| that your job responsibilities were changing drastically? | | | | decisions are based solely on numbers. Their |
| | | | | philosophy is numbers don’t lie! When they review |
| In life, these types of sudden, unforeseen changes do | | | | numbers and the numbers are unfavorable, their |
| occur. However too often, when it occurs we only | | | | decision to reprimand or let you go is a no brainer. |
| see the end result – the actual change. It’s | | | | However, behind the scenes, your immediate |
| important that we always look beyond the surface | | | | supervisor, the one who works with you daily, like the |
| and examine the real reason for the change. | | | | gardener wants to keep you around. Your immediate |
| | | | | supervisor intercedes on your behalf and assumes the |
| In Luke Chapter 13 the parable of the barren fig tree | | | | responsibility of working with you personally, despite |
| provides us with a good example of how the final | | | | the obvious unproductive numbers. |
| change happened. The owner of a particular garden | | | | |
| vineyard had a fig tree that wasn’t producing any | | | | This new assignment and responsibility given to you by |
| figs. For three years, he had come by to partake of | | | | your immediate supervisor raises several questions. |
| the fruit of his labor, the benefit of owning a fig tree. | | | | Will you accept the help? Can you allow yourself to be |
| But each year this particular fig tree was barren. The | | | | open-minded about change? Will you allow someone |
| owner was very disappointed, and immediately, went | | | | to cultivate your skills and talents to a more productive |
| to the gardener and told him to cut it down. He felt that | | | | end result? Will you endure an uncomfortable season |
| since it wasn’t producing fruit, then get rid of it. | | | | of digging and fertilizing to help you produce, therefore |
| | | | | keeping your employed? The gardener’s decision |
| You see the owner approached the gardener about | | | | to provide special attention to help the almost axed fig |
| this unproductive fig tree because he felt it was | | | | tree to produce some figs was not mandatory, but |
| wasting valuable soil. Behind the scenes the owner and | | | | was simply an act of mercy to help an unfruitful fig |
| the gardener had a conversation where they | | | | tree. The gardener’s efforts of digging around the |
| evaluated the performance or the lack thereof, of this | | | | fig tree and adding stinking fertilizer to the fig tree is to |
| particular fig tree. And the owner had concluded that | | | | help the tree to grow. The barren fig tree in the |
| this fig tree was not doing its job of producing fruit, so | | | | parable unlike a human being had no choice. Once the |
| it deserved the axe. On the other hand, the gardener, | | | | gardener started digging and dropping the manure, the |
| saw potential in the barren fig tree and he told the | | | | tree couldn’t make statements like, “What are |
| owner, “I understand but let me work with it. | | | | you doing? Get that mess (and we wouldn’t be |
| “Give me some time, allow me to dig around the | | | | thinking the word “mess”) away from me. Why |
| tree and spread some fertilizer. I believe I can help it to | | | | are you digging around me?” Oh no we as |
| produces some figs”. He continued, “After about | | | | humans fail to realize that fertilizer, though it has a very |
| a year, if it produces figs, well, we’ll keep it. | | | | unpleasant odor, it is used to help produce fruit. |
| However, if after a year of working with it and I’ve | | | | |
| done all I know to do to help it and it still doesn’t | | | | Too often when we are given a new assignment or |
| produce, I’ll eliminate it”. | | | | our job description is slightly adjusted for our |
| | | | | betterment, we fail to see the big picture involved in |
| This parable gives us all so much to keep in mind. First | | | | the process. Many times we fail to see that the |
| of all, we understand the evaluation process is | | | | changes are a part of attempts to keep us employed. |
| happening whether we are a part of the conversation | | | | Many of us fail to realize that a very serious |
| or not. Within our careers, we must realize that there is | | | | conversation has taken place and that our supervisor, |
| always someone evaluating and discussing our | | | | whom we think hates us, can really be trying to help us |
| performance. I’m also inclined to believe that at | | | | and salvage our career. |
| some point in our career whether past or present, | | | | |
| someone has viewed our performance and decided | | | | Again, the big question remains, will we endure a |
| that we were falling below the radar. Somewhere in | | | | difficult season of change? When we find ourselves |
| our career, unbeknown to us, two people have sat | | | | facing an uncomfortable season full of changes, we |
| down and reviewed our performance, attendance, | | | | should apply the following principles. |
| work ethic, and tardiness and discussed giving us the | | | | |
| axe. Though we may me fail to see it, the | | | | 1. Embrace change rather than resisting it. |
| conversation took place and someone had mercy on | | | | 2. Embrace change with a positive attitude. |
| us. One of the two was willing to eliminate us while the | | | | 3. Embrace change silently. Keep your |
| other was willing to cultivate and invest in us a little bit | | | | opinions to yourself. |
| more. One sees us as a complete failure while the | | | | 4. Remember you’re not privy to every |
| other sees us as having potential. Thank God for | | | | conversation. You won’t always know the |
| intercessors. | | | | particulars of a behind the scenes conversation or |
| | | | | even that one took place. |
| Thank God that along the way someone had mercy | | | | 5. Remember it’s not all about you, but |
| on us when we may not have deserved it. Thank God | | | | about the team. On the job it’s about the |
| for someone preventing the axe from falling on our | | | | betterment of the company. It’s about the team. |
| roots, especially when we are employed in a company | | | | Not all about you. |
| and not producing! | | | | 6. Check your attitude. You may be about to |
| | | | | get an axe in your career and don’t even know it. |
| The parable now raises yet another question, why | | | | 7. Be willing to grow. A part of growing may |
| was there no fruit? Why was the fig tree barren for | | | | require restructuring and a little bit of fertilizer. Fertilizer |
| three years? It’s not stated exactly why in the | | | | can come in the form of uncomfortable new |
| parable, but maybe, just maybe, the fig tree lacked | | | | responsibilities in a new department |
| nourishment. Maybe this particular fig tree needed love | | | | 8. You count! You count the number of times |
| and attention. Maybe this particular fig tree desperately | | | | you’re absent, you count the number of times |
| needed more one-on-one attention. Because of the | | | | you’re late, and you count the number of |
| lack of attention, the fig tree refused to grow up or | | | | complaints that have been brought to your attention. |
| bear fruit. Many times in our own lives, we fail to | | | | You count the number of times you’re late from |
| produce on our jobs for reasons including but not | | | | lunch. You count the number of outstanding tasks |
| limited to: the lack of love in our personal lives, financial | | | | remaining on your desk. Examine yourself! |
| problems, heartache, hurts, pains etc. As a result, we | | | | 9. Remember, everyone is accountable to |
| report for work, but are unproductive with no fruit. | | | | someone. Your manager or supervisor is being held |
| Hurting at the roots, we fail to produce on a job that is | | | | accountable for your performance. |
| expecting us to produce no matter what. We’re | | | | |
| hired to do a job, being paid to do a job; therefore, | | | | |
| we’re expected to produce, regardless of other | | | | Keep in mind that when drastic changes occur, there is |
| circumstances. And in most cases, the manager or | | | | more to the plan than meets the eye. The |
| supervisor could care less. The bottom line for most | | | | temporary upheaval may be for your betterment. |
| employers is simply meeting production on the job. | | | | However, you must be willing to endure the cultivating, |
| | | | | until the fruit begins to grow. |
| Another reason why one may be unproductive on | | | | |