How to Embrace Change in the Workplace with CliftonStrengths®

Change seems to be the only constant in the workplace right now. 

From the Great Resignation to new hybrid work plans, employees are once again undergoing massive transitions. They’re adjusting their schedules to a hybrid workplace and constantly adding to their workload when coworkers leave for new job opportunities. 

With turnover at an all-time high, employees are also adapting to new work relationships and a fluctuating company culture. With many companies now new-hire heavy, the internal culture is shifting. Not to mention, the transition from remote work to new hybrid work greatly impacts workplace culture. 

In fact, according to Gallup, the Great Resignation should really be titled “The Great Discontent,” with 48% of employees actively searching for new job opportunities. 

It’s no wonder employees feel discontent or burned out; many workplaces are in a whirlwind of chaos. 

So as members of today’s workforce, how do we embrace change in the workplace? How do we approach work with a positive attitude, and adapt when necessary? If workplace change isn’t going anywhere, we need tools to equip us for the journey.

It starts with your Gallup CliftonStrengths®.  

Your unique Gallup CliftonStrengths® provide insight into how you uniquely approach change; what you bring and need to the experience. 

And focusing on your strengths facilitates self-reflection—focusing on what you can impact versus what you can’t control. While you may not be able to change a companywide policy, the future of the COVID-19 pandemic, or whether or not your coworkers resign, you can strengthen your own locus of control. 

3 Strengths-Based Tips for Embracing Change in the Workplace

1. Know what your CliftonStrengths® bring and need. 

Do you struggle to answer the question, “What do you need?”

Sometimes, especially when we’re overwhelmed, it’s difficult to pinpoint what we need in order for things to improve. Thankfully, Gallup created this resource, which provides insight into what each of the CliftonStrengths® tend to bring and need to thrive.

As you read this list, copy/paste or write out what each of your Top 5 CliftonStrengths® brings and needs, and then apply these descriptions to the workplace changes you’re facing.

What new insights do these descriptions provide? Can you identify your pain points? In what ways can you positively influence the changes?

• Communicate your needs early and often. 

Once you know what you bring and need, communicate your insights with your leader. If you haven’t already, walk through your CliftonStrengths report®, and what you highlighted from the bring & need resource.

Initiate a coffee chat outside of your regular 1:1 to share what’s working, what isn’t, and how you’re working to support your needs during this time of immense change. Hopefully, your leader will be eager to help support your needs as well.

Discovering our own needs is hard enough, so we can’t expect others to know what we need either. We have to let people in for things to change. I love this famous quote from George Bernard Shaw: 

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” 

• Practice morning gratitude. 

While much is out of our control in the midst of workplace change, practicing gratitude daily is powerful, free, and in our control. 

There’s been more research done on the power of gratitude in the last 10 years than ever before. Dr. P. Murali Doraiswamy, head of biological psychology at Duke University Medical center said about gratitude: 

"If thankfulness were a drug, it would be the world's best-selling product with a health maintenance indication for every major organ system.”

Practicing gratitude daily with a gratitude journal, writing a note of thanks, or offering up prayers provides endless benefits, including improved brain plasticity (necessary for adapting to change!), increased feelings of happiness, improved sleep, and a greater sense of optimism and hope. 

This science is exactly what I include a section for gratitude in each daily page of The Strengths Journal™. If you don’t already have a gratitude practice, The Strengths Journal™ will help you focus on gratitude daily.

Starting each day with morning gratitude will train your brain to be present and hopeful. 

Change is the only constant, but you have the power to decide how you respond. Through knowing your CliftonStrengths®, you can claim what you need to feel empowered along the way. 

When big changes are difficult, the support and objective perspective of a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach can be especially helpful. I’d love to connect with you through a complimentary session. You don’t have to do this alone. 

In the meantime—know your CliftonStrengths® and what they bring & need, communicate your needs, and practice morning gratitude to start thriving amid change today.

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” -John C. Maxwell