Change Is Hard: Navigating Workplace Change From Both Sides
- linnearader
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
Change is hard.
Some people love change. Some people resist it. But honestly? Whether you welcome it or dread it, change is still a challenge.
Picture this. You're at work, somewhere you've been for a long time (in my case, 20+ years). You know the systems. You know the people. You know how to get things done. Then someone new walks in with fresh ideas, a different perspective, and a totally different way of thinking. Suddenly, the way you've always done things is up for debate.
It's uncomfortable on both sides. And I've been on both.
When I Was the One Pushing for Change
Let's go back 20 years. I walked in the door, young and fresh out of college, with all the confidence in the world. I had ideas. I had opinions. I knew exactly how things should be done.
And then I sat down at my desk and saw a typewriter. With carbon paper.
I had ZERO idea how to use carbon paper. I learned pretty quickly, but I also had zero interest in keeping that typewriter around. I wanted it gone. I wanted to "update" everything to the computer, and I was certain that was the only right answer.
My co-workers? They felt otherwise. They had years of experience. They knew exactly when and why the typewriter was still the better tool for certain things.
I pushed back anyway.
I had zero desire to change. I wanted things done my way, and I was sure I was right. (Bet you didn't see that twist coming.)
I was lucky. One of my co-workers (who's still amazing, by the way) sat down with me and walked me through why we still needed it. She explained what it was used for. She gave me real, practical advice on how to use it well. And guess what?
She was right.
We still have a typewriter in the office today. I haven't touched it in probably a decade, but just last week, that same co-worker mentioned how much she misses using it. We laughed about it.
That story has a happy ending. Both sides listened. Both sides learned something. The change happened gradually, on terms everyone could live with.
But not every change story ends that way.
When Change Doesn't Land Well
Here's a different kind of story. Details have been changed to protect everyone involved.
Picture a tight-knit, experienced team. They've worked together for years. They've built systems that work for them. They trust each other.
A new person joins, brought in to support the team. This person comes in with current training and a different toolkit than the team is used to. The methods they want to bring in are well-supported and considered the better approach today.
The team isn't interested. They like how they've always done things. They have no desire to change. So when the new person tries to share what they know, the team pushes back hard.
The new person knows their stuff. They've been trained on the current best practices. But they've never worked the old way and wouldn't even know where to start with it.
Instead of meeting somewhere in the middle, the team digs in. They don't try to understand. They don't ask questions. They essentially make it so uncomfortable that the new person either falls in line or leaves.
Eventually, the new person leaves.
Nobody wins in that story. The team loses out on real expertise that could have made their work stronger. The new person walks away discouraged, maybe even questioning whether their training mattered. And the work itself? It just keeps getting done the way it's always been done, even when there's a better way sitting right in front of everyone.
Change is hard, no matter what side of it you're on. But dismissing the other person never helps anyone.
You Always Have Three Choices
When change shows up at work (or anywhere, really), you basically have three options:
1. Dig in. Keep doing what you've always done. Ignore whatever this new person is bringing because it's different from what you know.
2. Dive in. Embrace it wholeheartedly, treat it like an exciting challenge, and jump in with both feet.
3. Sit back and look. Stay curious. Watch what's happening. Ask honest questions about how it might affect your role and whether it's actually a better way.
Option three is usually the wisest. But it requires something most of us don't naturally do under pressure: pause. Listen. Stay open.
The Real Lesson
We've all been the new person. In a workplace, in a family, in a community, in a friend group. And we've all been the one who's a little too comfortable in our own way of doing things.
Whether you're the one pushing for change or the one feeling resistant to it, my biggest piece of advice is this: don't dismiss the other person.
Don't dismiss their feelings. Don't dismiss their perspective. Don't assume you know better just because you've been there longer or just because your ideas are newer.
Step back. Try to understand where the other person is coming from. Be reasonable.
The best leaders aren't the ones who always push hardest for change or always resist it. They're the ones who know how to listen.
That's leadership. It's not about always having the right answer. It's about being willing to hear someone else's answer and weigh it honestly against your own.
So next time change shows up in your world, ask yourself: am I really listening? Or am I just waiting for my turn to push back?
As always, carry social kindness with you everywhere you go. The world needs you and your positive mindset!
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