Be The Change
Reaction to change can be unpredictable, and not all changes are the same. Some are temporary or seasonal, others are more permanent. Our reaction to change can take us by surprise, not because of the actual change itself, but what memories it may trigger, which in themselves cause us to react in a way that we may not have anticipated.
Coping with change might be a slower or faster response for some, and until we get our heads around the change itself, we may not be ready to implement a coping strategy.
Dry Cleaners around the world have had their fair share of changes (and their impacts) to deal with in the last 30 months. So much change in fact, and it is important to differentiate between changes we can have some control over and those we cannot. Understanding the difference, will lead to developing a coping strategy.
The need for all of us to react to climate change, has led first of all for our Affiliates to make the change to our environmentally non-toxic pure liquid silicone. But more than that they look at plastic consumption, energy usage, recycling, sustainable retail products and so much more.
The COVID pandemic meant that many had to completely change their business model. Whether it was introducing social media, creating a website, review staffing or implementing a delivery route. We were fortunate enough to draw on our respective experience to assist with this, but the ability of our network to adopt change should not be underestimated. That is probably why they were looking for a different dry-cleaning solution in the first place.
With the current changes to energy pricing, our Affiliate network is facing a higher cost base, but many have chosen to take control of the situation, by converting to our optimised system, which reduces energy and water usage and any associated costs.
According to NLP practitioner and life coach Mandy Mackenzie, “Adapting to change can be a lengthy process for example when a loved one dies, we lose our jobs, we have sustained a life changing injury or are abandoned by a spouse or long-term partner. On the other hand, if we initiate a change for example Get married, have a baby, we find a new better paid job with another company, move to a home that better meets our needs, because they are chosen changes which by and large we are in control of they seem positive.”
Each GreenEarth team member has embraced change where they can by making earth pledges on Earth Day each year, trying to effect change. We started small, but we have built on those foundations and kept focus on those goals. Having goals generally can help with accepting and managing your own changes.