| Narrative Objective The purpose of this book is to explore with the reader perceptions of life post-9/11, the current workforce and their evolving views on personal and organizational change, and their levels of emotional intelligence and capacity for coping with change and transformation in their work lives. It is the secondary purpose of this book to share our insights into the implications of this "shifting perspective" to help support more effective personal and organizational change needed in today's increasingly complex world. It is our goal to reflect on the general results of a two-phase research process that was conducted as part of the preparation of this book. The first phase of research involved selected in-depth interviews and a survey of attitudes toward personal and organizational change post-9/11. It was not assumed that 9/11 was a seminal event. We explored what changes, if any, the subjects felt were happening to them or to their feelings and behavior post-9/11. This process provided fascinating insights into the thinking of a broad range of people and an awareness of their openness to the research. Phase one also explored whether people had perceived in themselves some type of change that would predispose them to be more or less open to personal or organizational change. Once the first phase of the research was complete in 2003, we worked with the data and began to sense its relevance to the world of individual work performance and organizational performance. We identified a real shift in people's understanding of themselves and what was important to them. And we felt certain that whether organizations of any type were paying attention or not, people's shifting ideas, beliefs, and behaviors were having a profound effect on the culture of organizations and their capacity to cope with planned or spontaneous changes. While it cannot be said that everyone was changed post the traumatic events of 9/11 and the subsequent "war on terrorism," many were changed in subtle and not so subtle ways. These shifts in one's sense of self, of what one believes is important, were, in our view, an extremely relevant piece of information for organizational change professionals, as well as for all managers and leaders in organizations. If organizations are continuing to face radical changes in their respective markets—and there is no argument that they are—what happens to strategies and individual performance when people shift their thinking and feelings about what is important and worth a commitment? The business literature has been quite helpful in providing a variety of excellent books and articles about strategies for change and new leadership approaches to take on the responsibility for these changes. There has been increasing emphasis as well on executive coaching strategies and the need for more coaching in light of shifts in people's perceptions and their need for change. However, we did not see books and articles which explored the relationship between what is new in the minds, hearts, and behaviors of workers at all levels and the impact of this on the creation of transformation and change in organizations. This represents a major missing link in the literature on organizational change and individual performance. In Part I of the book we attempt to set the stage for the research results by considering the broader framework that our participants found themselves in during the first part of the 21st century. This helps explain some of why they may have responded to the research questions as they did. The results of the first phase of survey research are described in Part II. In Part III, we look at the workplace itself and explore workers' real reactions to actual organizational change. We also looked at their levels of emotional intelligence which indicate the behaviors they are capable of using and use to work, given the changes they are experiencing. While the first phase of the research asked and focused on what people feel, the second part focused on what their actual attitudes and skills are to cope with real change in actual work situations. This moved the research from opinion to skills. For while many may SAY they are pro-change the proof as it were is in the real world of work. We end the book with suggestions for individuals at work, as well as organizational change agents, managers, and leaders who have the bulk of the responsibility to manage change. Leaders or consultants have the challenging task of providing expert counsel to and working jointly with individuals throughout the organization, transforming modern institutions of all types with the goal of helping them prosper in the 21st century. It is our hope that by more closely understanding the mind shifts and current emotional and behavioral strengths of workers, efforts to create and sustain necessary change will be both easier to develop and more in keeping with the workers' needs and abilities. Greater alignment between workers and organizational strategies will result in improved organizations with less stressed, more productive workers. There is no argument that the world of business and non-profits is enormously stressful and faster paced than ever before. Our goal is to help ease this pressure and support individuals who will be more productive if they work in less pressured and insecure workplaces. We also want to help organizational leaders who desperately need employees who are open and willing to participate in the changes that will ensure success in increasingly challenging markets. We hope this book proves valuable to those in both the for-profit and non-profit fields— in private industry and the public sector. No organizations are immune to change, and no individual who is employed can expect to work without fairly consistent changes of one type or another. Essentially we took a snapshot of people in the 2002 to 2004 timeframe and have attempted to share what are the critical trends in this population of workers. We hope that as a result of this discussion, a specific and textured conversation within your own organization will ensue. We further hope that this dialogue will enhance your knowledge of the challenges you face so that they can be addressed with a conscious understanding of where you and/or your employees are emotionally and behaviorally. This expertise related to the feeling and behaviors of you and your staff should play a critical role in influencing how your organization can thrive in the 21st century.
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