Column: When change is inevitable, it's smart to 'go with the flow'

Constant change at work — in your office, your division, your department. No doubt about it. If change hasn't taken place yet, you fret about when it might occur.
Everyone wants change; but everybody hates it. We all also want to be richer, thinner, smarter, more gifted or athletic than we are now. We just want to be something that we aren't at the moment — better. But none of us enjoys change or getting out of our comfort zone to achieve it.

In today's work environment, we can communicate in one of several ways. We can shut down and deny that new operational procedures will be taking effect; we can "bad-mouth" the management for changing the old procedures; or we can decide to "go with the flow" and put a positive spin on the future.

You may not agree with the changes about to be made, but responding positively will say a lot about your ability to be flexible and contribute to the team.

If you decide to put a positive spin on it, you can look at change as a way to learn something new about yourself. Or just as importantly, you may learn something you need to know about the people in your department.

In any case, now is the time to surround yourself with positive people, at work and in your personal life. Analyze the company you keep. Do you find too many naysayers among your friends and close associates? If so, distance yourself from them; find positive people instead. Listen to positive, motivating tapes. Keep your chin and attitude up.

Read positive blogs; write positive blogs. Give management the benefit of the doubt. Greet people with a smile and direct eye contact.

I once read a proverb that says: "Life and death are in the power of the tongue." It is a good rule to live by at any time, but it's especially true in our climate of change.

How to look the part

Tonya Reiman is a body language expert, and I recently came across her list of all the wrong moves that will turn someone off and ruin a business interaction. Here are some key miscues to remember from her book, The Power of Body Language :

Don't do these things: Scratch your head; bite your lips; stare down at the floor; keep your hands in your pockets; slouch; jiggle your legs; twist your hair; click your pen impulsively; or bite your nails, even briefly.

With competition for job openings getting tighter, you may want to study this list so you can present yourself in the best possible light.

Getting hired or moving ahead is never just about the work product.

Schatzie Brunner spent nearly a decade at Turner Broadcasting as talent coordinator for Larry King Live and as a CNN news anchor. Today, she runs her own consulting business. Her Web site is http://schatziebrunner.com.

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