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Joanne Kaldy, Editor

Contributing to this article: Jim Crupi, PhD, Strategic Leadership Solutions, Inc., Plano, TX

Change is all around us. You can't avoid it. If you don't believe this, think of everything that has happened in your life during the last week. "You can probably come up with 4-5 things that have changed," says Jim Crupi, PhD, president and founder of Strategic Leadership Solutions, Inc. "Change is happening so fast in every aspect of life," says Crupi, "it can seem overwhelming." As much as any industry, health care is in a state of constant change. Managing this storm of activity can be challenging. But dealing with change doesn't have to be scary or painful. With the right outlook, skills, and insight, you can effectively-and even enjoyably--ride the wave of change.

What's the Big Deal about Change?
Change is as old as history, so why are change management seminars and books like Who Moved My Cheese, a change management "fable" for adults, so popular? "There's always been change," explains Crupi, "but the speed of change is escalating." The start of a new millenium adds another dimension, says Crupi. "If you study history, every 100 years there are basically four trends that impact society." These are: Desire for simplicity, Rejection of complexity, Quest for purity and Getting closer to nature.

Add to this picture the ongoing and fast-paced evolution of the information age, and "you come up with some interesting dynamics," observes Crupi. We are bombarded with too much information, he says. As a result, it is difficult to wade through all of the conflicting opinions and ideas we hear every day. "People's mental model of what is real gets challenged every second." "This is the power of imagery in a telecommunications world," suggests Crupi. "You're being bombarded and your values challenged constantly," he says.

Don't Count on Experience
Clearly, the rapid rate of change suggests that you can't count on "the way you've always done things." Even your experience offers no guarantees. In fact, Crupi says, "experience can be a liability." In health care, where new technology, research, and medical breakthroughs are realized every day, the practice and philosophy of medicine-and pharmacy-change almost daily. Knowledge and skills that were a valuable commodity a few years ago now are obsolete.

Prepare Now for Your Future
What can you do now to prepare for the future? Crupi suggests, "You have to say to yourself, 'Okay, how is my industry changing, and what's my role going to be?

Where do I carve my niche?
Clearly, making judgments and decisions about your future roles takes vision, self-awareness, and the ability to take some chances and to be flexible. "There are no simple answers," Crupi admits, but you can't avoid asking the questions. "No job is immune from change."

"Change makes you feel differently about your life, your job, how you work, and why you do what you do. Everything is challenged," says Crupi. However, "when you don't embrace change, you become extinct, and you make the worst decisions of your life." When you focus on ways to hold onto what you have instead of seeking ways to keep up with change, "you freeze yourself," Crupi explains.

Make an Ally of Change
How do you make change work for you? The first step, says Crupi, is "recognizing that change happens." He warns against becoming "a prisoner of the past." He states, "Most people grossly overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they can gain by giving it up."

Next, suggests Crupi, "recognize what your reaction to change is." Be honest with yourself about "how you respond to change and what this means in terms of the actions you take." Crupi offers, "You have to spend some time reflecting on where you want to go and paint a clear picture of this so that you can move toward it." "If you don't have a clear picture of where you want to go," he cautions, "you're never going to get there."

"When your vocation and avocation are one, there is no stress," Crupi observes. At that point, "your job is a creative extension of yourself." It is realistic to expect to get to this point, he insists, adding, "But if you don't believe that you can get there, you never will."

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