11 Tips for Dealing With Change at Work

Updated June 24, 2022

Adapting to change is important for all businesses to stay relevant and level with competition. As an employee, you need to be able to deal with and adapt to changes so you can promote company success. By researching tips for dealing with changes at work, you can ensure you maintain your professionalism and workplace satisfaction.

In this article, we define change in the workplace, review why it's important to understand how to deal with change in the workplace and list 11 tips for adapting change at work.

What is change in the workplace?

In the workplace, change is anything that interjects with previous work routines, team members, job roles or specific job duties. Here are some examples of change you may experience in your workplace:

New manager: When your old manager gets promoted or leaves the company, you and your team have to adapt to a new manager with a potentially different management style and expectations.
New coworker: If your team gains a new employee, you need to take time to get to know them and help them transition into their new job.
New role: New roles occur with the reorganization of a department or an internal promotion within your company.
New workplace technology: With the increasing use of technology in daily business activities, your company may incorporate new software and other technologies to enhance productivity and workflow.

Why is it important to understand how to deal with change at work?

It's important to understand how to deal with change in the workplace for several reasons. These are some examples of how you can benefit from understanding how to deal with workplace changes:

Helps you maintain positive workplace relationships

Being able to adapt and deal with changes in the workplace enhances communication between you, your coworkers and superiors. It also helps you work as a team to adapt to changes and allows you to strengthen professional bonds with your coworkers.

Ensures you continue making meaningful contributions to your workplace

When you have strategies for dealing with and adapting to workplace changes, you can maintain your productivity levels and ensure there are minimal errors or setbacks.

Enhances your ability to adapt to future workplace situations

If you understand how to deal with workplace changes, you can convert these practices for future jobs and highlight your ability to adapt to changes by listing it as a skill on your resume.

Promotes your professionalism to superiors

By demonstrating your adaptability, you show your superiors that you're someone they can rely on when changes occur.

11 tips for dealing with change at work

There are several steps you can take to ensure that you adapt to changes at work. Here are 11 tips for dealing with and adapting to change in the workplace:

1. Be honest about your concerns

It's important to address any concerns you have early on by speaking with your manager. They can give you helpful information about workplace changes to aid your understanding and help you adapt better. When addressing your concerns to an employer about workplace changes, be sure to emphasize your commitment to adapting changes into your daily routine.

2. Practice positive thinking

Having a positive outlook on workplace changes can greatly influence your ability to accept and adapt to them. To take on a positive outlook, consider the purpose of changes within your workplace and how they can positively influence your job role and work environment. By looking for potential benefits to changes within the workplace, you make it easier to accommodate them.

3. Communicate with your superior frequently

After the implementation of workplace changes, it's crucial to maintain good communication with your direct superior. They can help you navigate new job tasks and ensure you incorporate changes correctly. By communicating with superiors consistently, you also show how much you care about adapting to new work routines.

4. Re-evaluate your job and your place within the company

When changes occur at your workplace, it's helpful to gain a new perspective on your job role and how it contributes to your department or company as a whole. This allows you to determine how changes aim to benefit you and your employer. It can also help you make important decisions about whether you want to pursue different job roles within the company.

5. Ask questions frequently

As you incorporate changes into your daily work routine, you need to ask as many questions as possible to those in charge of overseeing new procedures or activities. Asking even the simplest of questions can help you gain a better understanding of how to complete new tasks and help you learn more about why these changes are necessary.

6. Take a skills course

If workplace changes require you to perform new job duties or use new technologies, it's important that you take initiative and look for ways to become more comfortable with them. Online skill courses allow you to learn about a subject on your own schedule and they also help you adapt to change because you know that you have the knowledge to accommodate them.

7. Confide in family and friends for support

Speaking to your family or friends about workplace changes and how they affect you provide a safe space for you to vent and reduce your stress levels. Because these individuals know you best, they may also be able to give you valuable insights on how you can adapt well.

8. Arrive to work earlier than you normally do

When changes occur in your workplace, you can make sure you give yourself additional time to adapt to them by arriving to work earlier than you did before. One example of this would be arriving at 8:30 a.m. instead of 9:00 a.m. to give yourself enough time to settle into your workday.

9. Help your coworkers adapt to changes

Once you start to understand new practices or routines, it's important that you assist your coworkers with adapting to the changes. This demonstrates teamwork, encourages positive relationships and ensures you can go to them for help when you need it as well.

10. Take a personal day when needed

After changes become a part of your work routine, taking a personal day can help reduce stress and gain the energy you need to implement changes effectively. This also limits the potential for burnout and helps you come back to work with a renewed sense of productivity.

11. Remember that all change becomes routine with time

Another great way to deal with change in the workplace is to accept it as a part of your work life and personal life. This reassures you that within a few weeks or months you can adapt fully to new roles, routines or procedures.