Published: 01/07/2019

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines

The new year, as always, is a great trigger for change. Whether it’s new diets, new exercise regimes, new time-keeping strategies, new hobbies, new wardrobes, or new habits, it’s a time of year when change is accepted. For some, new year changes are relished. Normally because they’re self-imposed changes. They are changes that you actually want to make, even if they turn out to be short-lived because you thought you wanted them, but then realise you didn’t want them enough. There is always a price to pay and sometimes that price is higher than you were comfortable with, which means the change doesn’t stick.

We’ve made some changes within the office for the new year. We’ve moved people around, made room for new team members within the office, and had a reshuffle of our organisation chart and structure with the introduction of Claire, our new Operations Manager. 

We got all the moving done in the first three working days of the year, so we were all ready for today, to hit the ground running when the masses get back to work on Monday 7th January. Of course, we tried to make it fun. To make sure everyone looked at the positive side to the changes. To use the opportunity of moving one’s desk and belongings to have a clear-out and an early spring clean. To see the additional support for the benefit that it is within the new structure of the Company. To view the upside of the changes, rather than focus on the uncertainty and any feelings of anxiety that change can so easily bring about. 

As I reminded our whole team just before we finished for Christmas, I was once told that “the quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably deal with” which I happen to believe is true. And when change is brought about by others, unlike the new year changes you make for yourself, you get to see the changes from either a positive or negative viewpoint, and which one you choose will have a huge bearing on your life. 

I’m sure we all know people who always see the negative side to change, and perhaps to life in general. Those people for whom the glass is always half-empty. Those people who seem to try to drag the opposite people – the ones who look for the positivity and enjoy having a half-full glass – down with them. The challenge is, not to let them. A good team will have both types of people, but the positive people need to be in the majority for the team to be successful. Otherwise negativity will win. I believe the ratio needs to be 3:1 in favour of positive over negative, in order for the lure of negativity to be suppressed. 

As Zig Ziglar tells us this week, on our weekly desk calendar that has hopefully made its way to your desk (you know, the one that keeps falling over because we didn’t get strong enough card for it to stand up until part way through the year!) “Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.” A quote that could be worth remembering at the start of a new year. A new year that’s bound to be full of change and uncertainty. You’ve only got to consider the “B” word to realise that change and uncertainty is most likely in all of our futures! Just remember though, you get to choose which way you see the change. And then put some trust in what Zig said and expect that even if the road feels difficult for a while, the destination will in fact be beautiful. 

PS. If you haven’t got one of our 2019 desk calendars and you would still like one, please drop us a note to info@grafuk.co.uk and we’ll get one in the post to you straightaway.



Your contact
Callum Vallance-Poole

Callum Vallance-Poole
+44 (0) 1295 675 493

callum@grafuk.co.uk

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