Handling Change; Lessons From My Cat

Our cat, Kittie had surgery on her paw on Friday. She was somehow wounded while walking around the neighborhood. It’s a puncture wound that had abscessed and she is now required to wear a cone around her head to prevent her from licking the incision. I’m not sure if I should call her “our” cat. She is a stray that took a fancy to our house about 13 years ago because I am a sucker for homeless animals. Here it is all of these years later and I am still searching for her real owners. Anyway, she is in for a surprise once she is healed. The cone may be removed but she is now going to be stuck inside.

Kittie is very uncomfortable with the paw, cone and being stuck inside. It’s change and even animals are uncomfortable with change. I’ve watched her as she tries to deal with her new accessory. She paces, bumps into things, walks in circles, tries to remove it, and hits her head against any object standing in her way. She cries as if she is complaining to me. In many ways, her behavior reminds me of the way people deal with change. According to Ken Blanchard, in the Seven Dynamics of Change, when people are first alerted of a change, they go through several steps. The cat is displaying some of these but she’s not human. People go through all of these steps, especially during a job loss.

1. They are awkward and ill at ease
a. I am the only one of my friends without a job
b. What will my family think?
2. They think first of what they must give up
a. It’s time to tighten the purse strings.
b. I’ll miss my peers
c. I’ll miss the work
d. I’ll definitely miss the security
3. They feel alone although others are also going through the change too
a. 14 million people have lost work since 2008. Why do I think it is only me?
b. No one understands what I am going through
4. They can handle only so much
a. With a job loss comes economic belt tightening
b. The stressors of normal life become harder to bear.
5. They are at different readiness levels for change
a. This may have come at a time when a change in careers was wanted. For others, no.
6. They are concerned about resources
a. Finances are critical and non-essentials are placed on the back burner
7. When the pressure is lessened they will revert back to their old ways.
a. Many times, comfortable job search tactics are used. These include emailing resumes to web addresses or applying on line. On the surface, these steps may provide a sense of accomplishment but in the long run they are not as effective as networking and face to face interaction.

Losing a job is difficult and while it is common to grieve and feel many of the emotions listed above, it is also a time for reflection and reconnecting.