Why People Fear Change: Tips for Working Through Uncertainty from OIT Leaders

Think back to the last time a change to a critical system or process affecting your role was announced. How did it make you feel?

For many of us, our first reaction to hearing about such changes might be fear, insecurity, or frustration. Maybe the change was unexpected. Maybe it was announced without context as to why it is necessary. Maybe you know there is a change coming, but you don’t know when or how. Maybe memories of a previous change effort where your work was overlooked are still fresh on your mind. 

Fear is a common human reaction to the prospect of change. So if your first reaction to a change is fear, welcome to the human club. 

“When we talk about change, my immediate reaction is, “Oh, man, that’s going to be hard,’” says Rajiv Uppal, Director & CMS Chief Information Officer (CIO). “I’m so used to doing things a certain way whether it's things at home or at work, change requires effort. Not just physical effort, but mentally too.” 

Doesn't that ring true for so many of us? Acknowledging the challenges that come with change is important. It creates space to work through the challenges together, free from the fear of isolation. 

“We are asking them to change how they do things, and to learn new things as well, because there’s just so much that changes in the technology process,” Uppal continues. “So, yes, it is very difficult, and I completely understand that.”

Taking time to understand our first reaction to change can be instructive. Once we examine the root causes of our “change fears,” we can employ a growth mindset to begin addressing them through knowledge and action. With practice, our hesitancy toward change can evolve. 

“Change also represents opportunity,” says George Hoffmann, Deputy Director & Deputy CIO at OIT. “It represents growth. It represents the ability to learn new skills and to try things out, and there is a little bit of safety in that; knowing that we’re all in that same boat of trying to figure it out.”

So for all of us at OIT, remember that we’ve already made tremendous progress on this change journey. Looking back at what we’ve accomplished can make it easier to address what’s next. Knowing that our colleagues are possibly experiencing the same concerns is another opportunity to share and learn together.

Our reality is that change is inevitable. But as Uppal noted earlier, change has been happening for a long time - especially in technology. Taking stock of how far we’ve come as a workgroup can be the start of understanding why.

One strategic approach to overcoming fear in the workplace starts with creating a place to have the conversation, and then starting the conversation with stakeholders. It is a continuous measure for examining how previous change impacts our work and how future change can bridge the gap to what is currently missing.

“It takes effort to adapt to change,” says Rosanne Hodge, Senior Advisor, OIT Front Office. “We are in a technology field, and we should be anticipating technology changes. Sometimes you can’t control the change, but you can control the way you react to change…The way in which you adapt really contributes to your success, so be part of the change, don’t let change happen to you.”

One way to be part of the change is to provide feedback. OIT leadership has created an additional venue via the OIT Employee Engagement Survey. All responses are confidential and no identifying information will be collected or shared with OIT leadership. The collective feedback will help leadership determine what strategies and tools will be useful for improving change readiness at OIT. 

We are all navigating, encountering, and brainstorming our way through the nuances each day brings. Understanding that we are not isolated in our fears can prompt us to vocalize them and hopefully do the same for others. That would be an impactful approach to create an organizational culture that fosters psychological safety and makes change more accessible.