- Introduction by Women of NATE Committee Member Stephanie Brewer
- WON Profile: Kimberly S Martin
- Where will you find the Women of NATE?
- Upcoming Events
- Recent Event Highlights
- Feature Article: 7 reactions to change (and how to respond to them)
- Book Recommendation
Release:
May 4, 2022
Women of NATE Today Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 5
Change! When you hear that word, you are either at ease with it or cringe! We have all encountered changes in different ways the last two years. As I have grown in this industry over the years, change was definitely something to which I have become accustomed. I recall saying to co-workers many times, “if you want to stay in this industry, you have to be open to change or you are going to be miserable.”
Change is not always bad. Sometimes our outlook is the only negative. Like working from home versus an office building; huge change. However, I have noticed things that I would have never taken time to notice had it not been for this change in my life. Last year when I setup my new office in a bedroom on the second story of our home with a view of a big oak tree in our front yard, I did not think too much of it. The tree was bare as it was February and not much to look at. As I sat on calls looking out that window week after week, I realized there were small red buds popping up on the limbs. As the weeks went by, the buds grew bigger; soon there were tiny leaves, then big full leaves. Throughout the last year, I watched birds and squirrels make nests in it, the leaves turn color, and then eventually observed all the leaves fall off. I am surprised that I have lived in my current home for eight years and have never taken the time to notice this tree or how beautiful it was.
As each season passes, I have enjoyed watching the change in this tree and now I look forward to coming to my office and seeing it every day. As this tree reminds us, opening yourself to embracing the positives of change brings along many opportunities and blessings!
Reach out to the Women of NATE to share your story about the positive change in your life.
Stephanie Brewer is the Director of Telecommunications Safety & Compliance for USA Telecom Insurance Services/IOA and member of the Women of NATE Committee in Gainesville, Georgia. She can be reached at 770-250-5408 or steph.brewer@usatelecomins.com.
WON Profile: Kimberly S Martin
Kimberly S. Martin, PE, Vice President, Tower Engineering Professionals (TEP). Like many of TEP’s VPs, Kim started working at TEP as an intern while in college at NC State. She was the first female engineer that TEP hired. At the time, TEP was small and everyone climbed towers, so there may have been some hesitancy to hire a female, but as Kelsey Olson demonstrated in NATE's #VerticalFreedom movie, that attitude is long since gone! Kim’s main duties were in the civil engineering department while cross training in the structural and inspection departments. With her excellent communication skills and love of client engagement, Kim quickly moved into a project management role. After mastering that role, she later became the VP of the Civil and Survey Departments and a Partner. In the last few years, Kim has
transitioned into a systems implementation role to improve accuracy and efficiencies in TEP’s project management and financial systems. At the Heroes of Telecom awards in 2019, she was named a finalist for the “Most Influential Woman in Telecom” because of her efforts.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us.
I have a black belt that I achieved when I was 14.
What advice would you give to recent new hires?
Try to be the best and don’t wait around for someone to tell you your career path, create your own!
What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?
I like being able to solve problems and I am amazed at what software developers can do. It is fun to work with them.
Tell me three pet peeves.
Their, they’re, there.
How do you want people to remember you?
I would like to be remembered as someone who worked hard to get where I am but I don’t tend to bother with other people’s opinions as long as I know I’m doing what I need to do. As a ‘bossy female’, it’s fairly easy to be labeled as one thing or another so you can’t get hung up on things like that!
What do you do for fun?
Growing up in Wilmington, NC, I love the beach and boating.
Best advice anyone has given you?
You can’t control other people’s actions but you can control your reaction. You choose whether to give someone control over your emotions.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am married with three kids, two girls, 5 & 7, and a one year old boy. I met my husband at TEP and we still work together.
If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be?
My Grandpa, not for anything specific, just to have another conversation
Name a few of your daily habits (other than a shower and brushing your teeth).
Coffee
What drew you to TEP originally? And how has TEP changed since?
I liked the freedom to do what I wanted as long as it was in the best interest of the company. I also liked the freedom my manager gave me. I was never micro-managed. I am not even sure I was managed much either, but that was great for my personality. It is still very much like that but it’s harder to see because we have had to become more corporate simply due to our size. This model is still there for those who want to find it.
How do you define success?
Being happy.
What advice can you give for people who aspire to be where you are?
You can create your own opportunities. You never know what opportunities may be out there. I never would have guessed I’d be doing what I am day to day. I never doubted I'd eventually have the title but many of the things I have done in my career are simply because there was a need, I saw it and then started doing it. You also have to be good enough at your job to train your replacement. Once you train someone to do what you are doing, it allows you the ability to do different things and ultimately grow and advance your career.
Where will you find the Women of NATE?
Take Women of NATE with you!
Are you traveling for work or taking a leisure vacation? Take a creative photo holding a Women of NATE (WON) logo in front of a landmark that lets us know where you are.
(Above) NATE Marketing Coordinator Sara Goddard showcased her talents as Claire Ganz at the local Town Players play Neil Simon's Rumors in Watertown, South Dakota.
Submit your photos along with your name and location to nikki@natehome.com for a chance to be showcased in an upcoming Newsletter or social media post.
Upcoming Events
Recent Event Highlights
(Above) NATE Chief Operating Officer Paula Nurnberg and NATE Project Coordinator Kimberly Elliott receive a helping hand from Women of NATE Committee member Diane Mueller of CITCA LLC educating AUVSI attendees about NATE in Orlando, Florida.
(Right) Retired NATE WIN Director Scott Krouse and NATE Board of Director Randy Scott man the booth at ENTELEC in Houston, Texas.
(Left) NATE Board of Director Chris Mallon and NATE President & CEO Todd Schlekeway are ready for attendees during the Wireless West Conference in San Diego, California.
(Right) Karen Kyman, NATE Director of Safety, Health & Compliance Kathy Stieler, and Anna Lane attend the PCI reception while participating with the NAB event in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Left) Kathy Stieler asks "What can NATE do for you?"
Raul Velez of Sutro Tower stopped by to see Eric Farran of Mountain Iron who assisted Kathy in the NATE booth at the NAB Show.
(Right) Sheri O'Dell-Deuer, Jordyn Ladner, Jessica Cobb, Amanda Stegall, and Stephanie Brewer socialize during the Southwest Summit.
(Left) Jay Stewart, Brad Baumann, Dean and Jessica Cobb meet up at the South Wireless Summit in Nashville, Tennessee.
(Right) Dean and Jessica Cobb pose for a photo with Irsan Tisnabudi and Paul Fanos pose for a photo during the South Wireless Summit.
(Left) Brad Baumann, Sarah Jolley, Jason Phillips, Jessica and Dean Cobb attend the Carson Higgins Memorial Foundation Dinner in Akron, Ohio.
7 reactions to change (and how to respond to them)
Strategies for change practitioners to respond to common reactions people have when they’re impacted by change.
---
Organizational changes can have a spectrum of impacts – from positive to unwanted – on individuals, leaders, or employees across the entire organization.
Even if people are welcoming the change, there can still be impacts from the change or related to the process to achieve the change.
Here are seven typical reactions people may display when they are impacted by change. Change practitioners can use the accompanying strategies to better understand how people are impacted and drive acceptance and adoption of the change.
“I’m not sure what to do.”
Reaction: Feeling anxious about the change and self-conscious about not knowing the new way.
Strategy: Acknowledge this is a legitimate reaction and assure the people impacted that they will be given any training that they need to enable them to perform well in the desired state.
What to do: Take the people through their new roles and what the new state will look like. Focus on what will change and what actions or behaviors are expected of them. Remind them that learning opportunities will be available to help them be successful, and work with trainers to adjust learning as necessary.
“It’s fine the way it is.”
Reaction: Thinking first about what they might have to give up, without considering what might be gained.
Strategy: Recognize the positive aspects of the current state, but outline the case for change. Identify what will happen if we don't change and why the desired state is better –
or why it is necessary to change at this time.
What to do: Don’t try too hard initially to sell the benefits of the desired state. Instead, begin by acknowledging the value the current state and convey that it is healthy (and often necessary) to proactively respond to changing conditions. And you could stress one new gain in particular that easily outweighs whatever is lost: the knowledge that your organization will be stronger because it has changed.
“No one is considering how this will impact me.”
Reaction: Feeling isolated, even if everyone else is going through the same change.
Strategy: Provide opportunities to listen, share and communicate in groups to jointly recognize shared challenges or opportunities.
What to do: Structure group activities around the change to cement cooperation and a sense of shared purpose. For example, you could hold a group session to define more precisely some of the blurred edges of the desired state. Ask people to produce diagrams or charts showing possible ways in which new elements of the desired state will fit together or will fit with old elements. Encourage people to discuss these different models and their virtues and challenges.
“Haven’t we tried this before and it didn’t work?”
Reaction: Ignoring the change because there have been so many before.
Strategy: With leaders, develop clear goals, responsibilities and strategies to improve the success of the change.
How it works: Be clear in your communication what actions are being taken to ensure success. Acknowledge past poor performance and point out actions to reduce the chance the same will be repeated. Go through the timeline for the change, emphasizing key dates and deadlines. Share summaries of the timeline so that everyone knows what will happen and when.
“I’m fine with it – but other people are not.”
Reaction: Being more – or less – open to change than others.
Strategy: Recognize that some people are risk-takers, some take a balanced view, and others are cautious. Share that everyone's perspective is important and can help identify where specific challenges might be.
How it works: With risk-takers, discuss the stages of the change and encourage them to focus on anticipated situations. With the cautious ones, try to understand what specific concerns they have and address them patiently and constructively.
“We don’t have time for this.”
Reaction: Feeling they lack enough resources for change, such as enough time.
Strategy: Communicate the plan and what is being done to manage limited resources or allocate more.
How it works: Even the best planned change may cause stress. People may overestimate the difficulties of their roles and feel that what they are being asked to do isn’t possible within the time allotted. Go back to the timeline and help these people understand the timeframe, and ask their opinion on what might be adjusted to ensure success.
“This won’t be permanent.”
Reaction: Returning to the old way of doing things.
Strategy: Weave the desired state into the organization’s culture.
How it works: Prioritize and promote actions that reflect the desired state. This can include symbolic changes (such as redecorating the office or upgrading furniture and equipment) and a reward or reinforcement system. With leaders and employees, communicate in terms of the new desired state. ■
About LaMarsh Global
As the global leader in change management, we help organizations develop change capability so you can concentrate on innovation and growth.
This article was originally published on the LaMarsh Global website at https://insights.lamarsh.com/7-reactions-to-change-and-how-to-respond-to-them.
