What kind of change is impacting you right now? Are you laid off? Is your job changing due to "doing less with less"? Have you graduated college and trying to start your career? Are you preparing for retirement? And, how do you react to change?

In my conversation with Becky Shook, Psychology Practitioner who helps individuals and groups move through transition, we explored the difference between change and transition and the six types of transition styles each of us tends to experience.

Change and transition are not the same. "Although used interchangeably, they are different", says Becky. "Change is the actual event or situation that occurs ... transition is the emotional space people move through [in response to the change]". For example, your job or organization may be changing; how you react to this change is the transition.

Becky shared six transition styles. While each of us can experience all of them to some extent, we tend to experience one or two most often. Which one do you think is your dominant transition style?

Style #1: Attachment. Individuals who exhibit this style tend to have fear and concern that relationships are going to be disrupted in some way. For example, as a result of a job change, you may have strong feelings that you will not be working with an individual or group as much or at all anymore.

Style #2: Turf. This kind of response includes two dimensions - physical work space and area of responsibility. For example, maybe the change will require you to move your work location and/or significantly change your job duties, both keep you up at night.

Style #3: Future. This style includes a preoccupation with how the change will impact your career or life path, including retirement plans.  Feeling in control of your destiny, whether real or imagined, is crucial for people who gravitate toward this style.l

Style #4: Structure. Individuals who tend to default to this transition style are concerned about how the change will impact their daily routines. Becky adds: "We set up mental structures to get through our day. When change happens, those structures are no longer relevant".

Style #5: Meaning. Not knowing why a change is occurring is a huge disruption for individuals who fall into this style. This also includes job fulfillment. Becky says: "If you change a job and it's no longer fulfilling, that's a huge disruption".

Style #6: Control. Individuals who place high value on autonomy will tend to experience this style. How the change is going to affect ones ability to direct his or her own activities is on the top of the list of concerns.

Understanding your dominant transition style and those of others you lead or work with is the first step. Then you can focus on compensating. For example, if the dominant style in question is future, those impacted can do scenario planning, considering alternative futures that may be possible. Or, if the focus is structure, create new mental structures, guidelines or routines. Often these activities can positively affect the other transition styles, such as providing more meaning and control.

You can see my conversation with Becky on Sunday night's episode of Good Work NOW! on Channel 17 at 7:30 PM (or streamed via www.AccessSacramento.org). A ten minute preview/highlights segment is available here.

Please leave your questions or comments. Becky and I will be monitoring the discussion.

----------------------

Good Work NOW! is a non-commercial, public access TV talk show focusing on finding a job, developing your career or business, or improving the workplace and is a volunteer effort by all involved.