Personal Reactions to Change

1. Think through your organizational experiences at school and at work when you have been a recipient of change. How have you typically responded to these changes? What were the factors that led to those responses?

To help you think about these questions, ask yourself the following concerning three to four such changes:

What was the change and how was it introduced?

What was the impact on you?

What was your initial reaction? Enthusiasm? “Wait and see” attitude? Ambivalence, due to conflicting reactions? Cynicism?

Did your attitudes change over time? Why or why not?

2. Was there a pattern to your response?

a. Under what circumstances did you support the change? When did you resist? What can you generalize from these experiences?

b. If you experienced ambivalence, how did you resolve it and what happened to your attitudes toward the change once the ambivalent feelings were resolved?

3. Overall, have your earlier experiences with change been largely positive, largely negative, or mixed?

Have these experiences colored your expectations and feelings toward change in the future?