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The Transition to Change Mike
Haubrich |
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“Change”
is the resounding theme of this year’s election. All three candidates, Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton
and John McCain, are promoting their own unique version of the theme. What each
is struggling to voice is how change will be successfully achieved. How will
the country get from where we are today to the vision each of these
candidates holds for our future? In other words, how we will transition from
what is today to what will be tomorrow? This is
not just a national/political issue. We all have to deal with change in our
personal and professional lives. During change our financial resources are often
put to the test. The reason most people seek the services of a financial advisor
is because they are dealing with some change such as retirement, empty
nesting, aging parents in need of care, death of a spouse, job transfer or
elimination, and a myriad of other changes. Change,
by its nature, often makes us feel insecure, anxious, uneasy and downright
uncomfortable. Even positive changes can test our limits of endurance as we
struggle to move from what was known and familiar into the unknown territory
of the new beginning resulting from a change. Having a plan for how you will
manage the transition from the old state of being to the new beginning can
help ease the stress and the financial pressures that often accompany change.
There are
many books written on the process of change and one of the best I’ve found is
Managing Transitions by William
Bridges. In this best-selling book, Bridges does a masterful job of
describing the complete process of change and postulates that the transition
is more challenging for people than the actual change itself. He identifies
three distinct phases of change beginning with ending, losing and letting go.
Bridges describes the difficulties associated with moving through these
phases as a necessary part of achieving a new steady state. The first
phase involves honoring the past and acknowledging the losses as we let go
and move forward. The second phase Bridges characterizes as an in between, no
where kind of zone. It’s a time of uncertainty and discomfort. This should be
a decision-free zone, a time to settle in and be flexible. A rush to find answers
and force clarity can lead to otherwise avoidable and expensive mistakes.
Finally, the new beginning involves new understandings that take place only
after we are ready to make the emotional commitment to do things a new way.
Arriving at a new beginning is similar to a monkey who swings from one branch
to the next—we must take the risk of letting go of one branch in order to
fully grasp the new and advance our journey. This
summer, our firm will move to our newly built office after 15 years in our current
location. We are preparing for that change. First, we are recognizing and
honoring all the good times we shared in our now cramped setting. Even though
we look forward to the move, there are things we will lose. Patterns of
behaviors will have to change. That quick walk across the street to the mall during
lunch will be a thing of the past. Our neighbors for the past 15 years, the
UPS driver, mail handler, office center janitor, and numerous others who made
up our work community will be gone – replaced by a new group of people. According
to our design consultant, as we carefully plan the layout and décor for our
new spacious environment, there are decisions that are best delayed until we
are actually in the new space. The details of personal taste – pictures,
accessory furnishings and window treatments are examples of delayed decisions
best determined after settling in to the newness. So we will only make the
decisions we have to as we are currently in this in between, decision-free
zone. This is our time of ending and new beginning for us as we carefully map
out our plan for our transition which will help ensure a successful change. As we
near November’s elections, I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about our candidate’s
views of change. Look for their vision on the transition plan for how we will
end this phase of our history and welcome the next. Mike Haubrich is president of Financial Service Group, a
registered investment advisory firm in |