On Embracing Change in High-Growth

As humans, we're hardwired to find comfort in patterns; knowing what to expect gives us a sense of control. The rhythm of our lives is an excellent example of this. Perhaps your weekly routine finds you in a flow— Tuesday night trivia, going to the gym (if you're so lucky and motivated) on a specific schedule, pizza Fridays. 

All of these familiar choices feel good; we know what we like and what to expect.

Without going too far into a science lesson, our brain recognizes these patterns/choices as "safe. " Departures from the known or perhaps even more challenging changes that happen to us can send a signal to our brain that something isn't right. It's how we've survived as a species for so long— we've got good danger radar. 

Now, all of that is great, except for those of us who have chosen to work in an industry built on the idea of going fast and making changes constantly. 

For those who enjoy routine and find comfort in knowing what to expect, a high-growth environment can be dizzying and, for many folks, not the right fit. In my ten-plus years of working in high-growth environments, I've seen many folks struggle with changes, from someone losing it over a printer getting replaced to a widespread revolt over how paperwork needed to be submitted. At the core of all of these— fear. 

Authors note: the printer was constantly breaking, and the paperwork was a legal requirement. No one was out to get anyone; in fact, it was the opposite. 

However, I've found some ways we can build mental resilience to better survive and possibly even thrive in an ever-changing work environment. Below are a few strategies to build mental endurance and ride the wave of high-growth changes.   

Don't Wait for "the Cheese" to be Served

Recently, I was sharing a cheese plate with someone who had spent their career working at a Fortune 100 company, and they made a tongue-in-cheek comment, "Hey— don't move my cheese!" For those unfamiliar, "Who Moved My Cheese" is a self-help book corporate America embraced in the early aughts. The book is a short parable that tells the story of a bunch of mice trying to find cheese to eat, and the message is about how to learn to embrace change (spoiler: the mice who stopped expecting cheese in the same place got more cheese or something). 

While well-intentioned, the book can rub folks the wrong way, especially for those actively struggling with many changes. I remember this book being shared at a company meeting and saying to a colleague, "So this book is saying, don't resist, and relinquish the idea that I have a say and I will survive?" 

The vehicle for the message was not well received, as much as it was needed. 

Building Patterns of Change 

A more successful approach was by a leader with a company policy that everyone in the office had to change desks every quarter or two. I'm talking about a full-office move across the building where everyone took an hour to shuffle at the end of the day, usually with minimal notice. They openly shared it was strategic; they wanted us to all embrace the idea of change. And it worked; we came to expect that change would happen, and we didn't know when. 

This was a turning point in my mental mindset to getting more comfortable with change.

It was from this idea that I realized I had the ability to quiet the part of my mind that found danger in change and instead get comfortable with the idea that change might be fine or even good. 

In my own life, working from home, I still embrace the office reshuffle, even if it's just me. Every few months, I'll move my desk in a different direction in my tiny Manhattan office, change the pictures on the walls, etc., to signify a delineation of time and change. 

I also actively push myself to embrace change in small ways every day. While I always drink drip coffee in the morning, if I'm meeting a friend for coffee or out for a walk, I don't have a go-to order or even place; I change it up. Those walks to get some fresh air; I try never to repeat the same path two days in a row. The mental exercise reminds me that while I may have a favorite or preferred route, the others aren't bad, just different.

For me, "rewiring" my brain by actively choosing variety has created the inverse effect. 

Where I once saw fear in change, now I find it a positive indicator. In startup environments where things aren't changing, I wonder, "Is something not working here?"

To me, change = growth, stagnation = not growing. 

If this sounds wild to you, so is working in hyper-growth. :)  

Changing Your Relationship to Change

At another time in my career, I was on the hiring team for my department head, which is relatively uncommon, but the notion of wearing many hats during early-stage growth can run the gamut. I had spent months interviewing candidates for the role alongside another team member. It was exhausting and draining. Not only was I interviewing for the role, but in my mind, I was also aware they would be my boss. It took up a serious amount of our bandwidth.  

At the beginning of the search, we heard of a candidate that our founders wanted to hire, but that person wasn't interested. They didn't agree on one of our core operating principles. Several months into interviewing, I got the news that the candidate had changed their mind and was being hired. The search was done! 

My immediate feelings were annoyance and, if I'm honest, skeptical. 

"The person who didn't agree with one of our core operating principles?!" I could have said. 

But instead, "That's great! I can't wait for them to join. I know how highly you think of them, and I'm glad they came around. I'm excited for what's next."

I checked myself. 

In an instant, I looked at the situation and saw this change:

1️⃣ Would solve my current problem (spending too much time on hiring) 

2️⃣ Had a lot of significant unknowns (but what if some of those were excellent things?) 

3️⃣ I trusted and respected the person who made the decision. I had no reason to believe they would make a choice that would negatively impact me intentionally.

4️⃣ I wanted whoever took the role to be successful because it would make the company more successful and, if I'm blunt, would make my equity worth more. 

And I held to this idea— this change could be good despite my initial gut feeling. 

It was transformative. While the other department members were anxious and skeptical, my decision to be open to the news and vocal in support permeated the team and helped folks come around. A member of leadership even thanked me for leading with positivity when it would have been easy to be critical. They had been nervous too.

Was it 100% smooth sailing from there? No. But it did preserve my mental energy and prevent me from getting so hung up on something that I had no control over. 

Does this mean I go with the flow with everything that comes my way? Absolutely not. 

But I do have some great tools now that help me realize what changes should ring the alert bell and which might consider a second look.

Finding Ways to Embrace Change in Your Day-to-Day  

I am in no way suggesting that you stop ordering your favorite dish at a restaurant or take up a new hobby in place of an existing one— merely that adding variety on a somewhat regular basis can help us be more present and open to changes that may come our way.  

Maybe next time you find yourself with some strong feelings on change, approach with curiosity rather than skepticism?