Being Prepared For Changes

Most Important Lesson For Workers.

They say change is the only thing that’s constant in life, and according to a recent survey, workers have come to expect it. More than half (56 percent) of those polled said being prepared for change was their most valuable lesson from the recent recession. Being organi-zed ranked a distant second, with 15 percent of the response.

The survey was developed by Of-ficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 571 men and women, all 18 years of age or older and employed.

Survey respondents were asked, "Which one of the following would you say is the most valuable lesson you learned from the recent economic downturn?" Their responses:

Be prepared for change.......56%, Be organized ......15%, Stay in touch with professional contacts.........14%, Keep your resume current.......9%, Something else/none of the above ....5%, Don’t know/no answer.....1 %.

"Few people were untouched by the recession - they’ve made adjustments to account for increased workloads, a competitive business landscape, and for many, new job searches," said Diane Domeyer, OfficeTeam executive direc-tor. "While no one wants to repeat the difficulties of the downturn, there are opportunities to learn from them and use this knowledge to prepare for the future."

Domeyer noted that the ability to anticipate and adapt to change can increase one’s marketability. "Managers want to hire and promote people who are flexible, versatile and can adjust to short learning curves."

Domeyer offered these suggestions for succeeding in any business environment.

• Think through the "what ifs." Any-thing is possible in your career - and change can come with little notice. What would happen if you got a new boss tomorrow? If you were offered a promotion? If a colleague left and you were asked to assume an expanded role? Considering how you would han-dle these scenarios will help you prepare for them.

• Observe someone who is rarely caught off guard. Who in your firm is unflappable even amid change? Study and emulate his or her grace under pressure.

• Be "in the know." Are you the first

or last to learn what is happening in your department, industry or profession? Develop new sources of information and share this knowledge with others.