Moving forward, by Bronwyn Bowery-Ireland (CEO, ICA)
I have just turned on the television to listen to the evening news. The feature story is about the closure of a Ford factory
in a town. Over hundreds of workers are to be sacked as a result of the closure. The Ford factory is the main industry in the town with only a couple of other industries operating in the area. There is definitely not enough jobs in the town to go
round for all the sacked workers.
The news clip showed many angry workers, fear on their faces as they highlighted the impact that the closure would have on them, their families and the local community. Some workers had devoted their entire working life to Ford, hoping to retire there. Others mentioned the impact on their children and families as they would now have to look for work outside of their town, requiring them to drive great distances to seek employment, sacrificing family time for travel time. Other workers commented on feeling left out of the conversation, the planning, the decision that lead to the closure. Anger from misplaced loyalty to a company that they considered to be a part of their community, extended family in the greatest sense of the notion. Feelings of desperation, anxiety, and disempowerment showed on their faces and their words.
This picture or news clip is not unusual or uncommon to many people. Communities altered as a result of the closure of large industries, causing economies to change and sometimes permanently destroyed, movement of families as they go in search of new work and communities.
So how does one move forward after such a huge change? What makes some people stay fixed in time unable to move forward and others move ahead?
There are some characteristics that I have identified about people who cope with change:
1. They were not in a place of blame or regret before the closure.
2. They have strong supports around them i . e . family, friends, colleagues
3. They communicate openly and don’t hold on to anger
4. They recognise that to move forward they need to work out an action plan.
5. They are able to acknowledge others and feel gratitude.
This is by no way an exhaustive list. I recognise for myself as a coach I also need to model these behaviours.
Over the next week I encourage you, if you are a coach, to consider what behaviours you need to have to be successful. If
you are not a coach what behaviours do you have that would support you in becoming a coach. Write down your list and email them to me and I will include them in my next column (Bron.bi@icoachacademy.com). Over time we will have a great list.