Managing Change
Resources to help you master a future that won’t be like the past
BY KAREN SULLIVAN
The one constant in life is change; the only variable is our response.
Some of us hold on to old ways of doing things so tightly that
we refuse to reach out to new opportunities that come our way. As John
Kennedy said: “Change is the law of life. Those who look only to
the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Pharmacists certainly aren’t strangers to change. Across the
country, legislative developments are having a dramatic impact on how
we provide patient care. There’s never been more pressure on
pharmacists to step out of the comfort zone of their traditional role
to embrace a progressive model that widens the scope of their influence
on patient health. Whether it’s prescribing, providing immunizations,
working alongside physicians in health-care teams or specializing in
disease states, opportunities for growth are ever-present.
The question is: how exactly do you make the leap to something new
when you’re reluctant to let go of past ways of doing things?
This is where the concept of change management comes in. Their understanding
of how to “manage” change makes the critical difference
between leaders and followers. The better you deal with change, the
more likely you are to succeed.
It’s a comfort to know that you aren’t alone on your
journey of change—and that there are plenty of valuable resources
to assist you along the way. Here are some of them:
A coach can work with you to navigate personal and professional transitions
in your life. Coaches can help leaders become more effective by identifying
what it is that stands between them and their goals.
To find a coach anywhere in Canada, check out www.CoachesCanada.com.
You’ll find coaches who work in the areas of professional and
career development, leadership issues, strengthening teams,
defining vision and organizational development.
You can narrow your search for a coach by Canadian province and city
with the International Coach Directory at www.findacoach.com.
The Coaches Training Institute trains the largest number of certified
coaches globally. Its website offers tips on how to hire a coach and
a mechanism to search for coaches in Canada ( www.thecoaches.com ).
www.changeinnovators.com – Winnipeg-based Change Innovators
has a team of HR professionals that offers coaching, leadership training
and change-management consulting.
www.robinsonleadership.com/robinson/our-team.php
The website of Toronto-based Robinson Leadership Training offers
case studies, seminars and programs on change management.
www.affinitymc.com/Change-Management
Work-shops.htm – Edmonton-based
Affinity Consulting and Training features an extensive course
catalogue of leader-ship and change management programs on its site.
www.deepchange.com – Robert Quinn, author of Deep Change:
Discovering the Leader Within , presents numerous inspiring
case studies of personal change on his site.
www.change-management-toolbook.com – Online discussion forums
on this site help you meet other people who are involved in
change processes related to organizations, teams, and individuals.
www.change-management-monitor.com – This site offers information
on current ideas about change management with book reviews,
web links and articles.
http://home.att.net/~nickols/change.htm – This website of Fred
Nickols, an American consultant, features a comprehensive primer
on change management.
www.ispi.org – The website of the International Society of
Performance Improvement, the leading international association dedicated
to improving productivity and performance in the workplace, offers
many resources on change management.
Managing Business Change for Dummies (Beth L. Evard and
Craig A. Gipple. John Wiley & Sons)
Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change (William
Bridges, Perseus Publishing)
The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their
Organizations (John P. Kotter, Harvard Business School Press)
Change the World: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Extraordinary
Results (Robert E. Quinn, Jossey-Bass)
Change Management Masterclass: A Step-By-Step Guide to Successful
Change Management (Mike Green, McGraw-Hill)
Making Change Stick: Twelve Principles for Trans-forming Organizations (Richard
C. Reale, Positive Impact Associates)
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