Navigating Change

Pre-Work

Watch

Embracing Change – Jason Clarke

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPhM8lxibSU

Read

How to Get Better at Dealing with Change – Harvard Business Review

https://hbr.org/2016/09/how-to-get-better-at-dealing-with-change

Do

Write down 2–3 bullet points in response to the following:

What kind of change do I usually resist, and why?

What’s one change I’ve adapted to well in the past? What helped?

What’s one strategy I want to try the next time change feels uncomfortable?

What Helps Us Adapt

Change is constant—and how we respond determines our success. Harvard Business Review research highlights six strategies to navigate change effectively: use humor to lighten the moment, focus on problems not just feelings, rethink stress as energy, reconnect to your core values, accept the past, and stop expecting stability. Embracing these habits builds resilience, adaptability, and momentum in times of uncertainty.

Link to Toolkit for Navigating Change

Dig Deeper: Difficult Conversations

1. Humor – Lighten the Moment

Article: Humour: A Pillar of Resiliency – Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/everyday-resilience/202207/humour-pillar-resiliency

Video: The Skill of Humor – Andrew Tarvin (TEDx)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdZAMSyn_As

2. Focus on Problems – Not Just Feelings

Article: Simple Way to Make Better Decisions

https://hbr.org/2023/12/a-simple-way-to-make-better-decisions

Article: Emotional Agility – Harvard Business Review

https://hbr.org/2013/11/emotional-agility

3. Rethink Stress – It’s Energy

Video: How to Make Stress Your Friend – Kelly McGonigal (TED)

https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend

Article: How to Reframe Stressful Situations, Elizabeth Scott, PhD

https://www.verywellmind.com/cognitive-reframing-for-stress-management-3144872

4. Reconnect to Values – Ground Yourself in What Matters

Article: From Purpose to Impact - Harvard Business Review

https://hbr.org/2014/05/from-purpose-to-impact

Article: Belief: The Power of Purpose and Values in Action - Gallup

https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/658478/belief-the-power-of-purpose-and-values-in-action.aspx

5. Accept the Past – Fight for the Future

Video: The Art of Letting Go - TedX, Larry S. White

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eg_NQilvA6w

Article: Now Is the Time for Courage – Harvard Business Review

https://hbr.org/2025/09/now-is-the-time-for-courage

6. Don’t Expect Stability – Embrace the Constant Flow

Embrace Change in the Corporate World: Turn Resistance Into Resilience - Forbes

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbooksauthors/2024/08/28/embrace-change-in-the-corporate-world-turn-resistance-into-resilience/

Video: The Risk of Playing it Safe – Bill Taylor (Fast Company)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7jiAemnN3o