Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes (Turn and Face the Strange)
This summer is just flying by and my favorite season of all time (autumn) will soon be upon us. With so many transitions happening, I decided to write this month’s blog on exactly that.
What kind of transitions, you ask?
There are just as many transitions in our world at large. Times like these are turbulent and things feel out of control, which is why more than ever it’s time to cultivate awareness, stillness and understanding of when to take action.
While meditating every day is helpful (DavidJi on the Insight Timer app = 100/10), getting enough sleep and eating right are essential to maintaining an even keel, these are largely solitary activities. As humans we need connection, we need to know we are not alone. Which leads me to our featured class: Thriving Through Transition: Skills for Today’s Evolving Workplace.
I don’t always participate or attend classes in their entirety; our small but mighty department consists of two people, so the office workload simply needs to come first. However, Thriving Through Transition is one of our newer classes, which means it gets more attention to ensure everything gets off on the right foot. I attended the first 10 minutes, and after instructor Lisa Cassidy began covering her opening Five Key Takeaways I knew I was staying until the end. I’ll share the first two below:
- Dedicate some space. Transitions require energy.
- “Done” is a myth. There will always be more change coming.
(Cassidy, 2026).
So often – in the whirlwind of our working days – we neglect the emotional component of transitions. Whether we just want this “awkward phase” to be over with and push through it, or because transitions can mimic the grieving process: what we’re losing or leaving behind vs. the unknown that lies ahead of us. We deny either directly or indirectly that things are going to be different, and once we realize the truth of that it’s frustration at best and anger at worst. Either way, there’s inherent resistance. So where does one go from that place? What action can you take that moves the org, the discussion, the team in a positive direction?
These are the truths and obstacles that Lisa calls out in her ground-breaking class, and provides practical solutions for that can be implemented immediately. Since taking her class I’ve been better able to manage as PDP undergoes these changes. If you’re being confronted with change in either your professional or personal life, I highly recommend you check out this class.
Lisa’s class may be more inspiring and eye-opening to individual contributors instead of leaders, which is why we have multiple options to choose from for folks in leadership and supervisory positions:
- Lead Without Limits: A Leadership Development Group
- This is instructed by Andy Osheroff, the Director of the Career & Employment Hub here at USM Portland. He made this course specifically for leaders experiencing challenges during transitions. The primary objective is identifying what is holding you back, building a plan on how to implement that change, and then weekly sessions with the group to discuss how that implementation is going.
- Stepping Up to Supervisor
- What is arguably the hardest transition in the workplace is going from a peer to a boss. This is the first class in our Supervision Certificate program, and that’s no accident: before taking on any supervisory duties, you need to understand the transition dynamics that come before that.
- From Drained to Driven: Building Resilience and Sustained Peak Performance
- Too much change too quickly can burn anyone out, and if you can’t fill your own cup, how can you effect or implement any form of positive change in your organization? This is where resiliency strategies come into play, and how you can come out stronger in the face of change.
Whatever transition you’re facing, and wherever you are in that transition process, remember to give yourself some grace and space as you navigate it. If you’re reassured by learning practical skills and seeing that you aren’t alone, our classes have got you covered.
All my best,
Chelsea Cook, Client Experience Coordinator
