{"id":9849,"date":"2025-01-16T14:13:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T18:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/ashley-goodall-on-why-constant-change-hurts-workplaces\/"},"modified":"2025-01-16T14:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T18:13:00","slug":"ashley-goodall-on-why-constant-change-hurts-workplaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/ashley-goodall-on-why-constant-change-hurts-workplaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashley Goodall on Why Constant Change Hurts Workplaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Profit<\/a>
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\u201cIf your company tells you to change, you\u2019ve got two choices<\/em>,\u201d shares Ashley Goodall<\/strong>, the author of The Problem with Change<\/em> and Nine Lies About Work<\/em>, on the Mindvalley Book Club with Kristina M\u04d3nd-Lakhiani. \u201cYou can be a loser or you can adjust your mindset and be all happy about change<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

But change isn\u2019t always a good thing, as Ashley points out.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In his interview to promote The Problem with Change<\/em>, he breaks down why endless workplace shake-ups are hurting more than helping\u2014and what leaders should be doing instead.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the problem with change in the workplace?<\/h2>\n

Sure, change can feel exciting\u2014fresh ideas, new challenges, re-energize repetitive routines, open doors for new roles\u2026 But here\u2019s the unpopular opinion: too much change<\/em><\/strong> can make your workpeople miserable.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The endless churn of reorganizations, new strategies, leadership shake-ups\u2026 \u201cLife in the blender<\/em>,\u201d as Ashley calls it. Instead of sparking creativity, constant change floods the brain with stress<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Uncertainty? Check. Lack of control? Double-check. The result? Burnout, high blood pressure, and productivity so low it\u2019s practically underground.<\/p>\n

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If your company tells you to change, you\u2019ve got two choices: you can be a loser, or you can adjust your mindset and be all happy about change.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ashley Goodall, author of The Problem with Change<\/em><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The reality is, Gallup found only 32% of U.S. employees feel fully engaged at work<\/a>. The rest? Checked out, overwhelmed, or just done. (That\u2019s a whopping 68%<\/em>.) And this disengagement is estimated to cost the global economy approximately $8.9 trillion<\/a> (or 9% of global GDP).<\/p>\n

\u201cConstant change is making it harder for people to do their jobs<\/em>,\u201d Ashley explains. Teams spend more time adjusting to the chaos than actually working. And that can lead to \u201clearned helplessness,\u201d where people stop putting in effort because they feel powerless to influence results.<\/p>\n

Take Amazon, for example. When the company demanded a full return to the office, it wasn\u2019t exactly an invite employees were thrilled about. People had settled into hybrid work routines that, frankly, worked.<\/p>\n

Forcing them back full-time without much input? That\u2019s not change. It\u2019s control dressed up as autocratic leadership<\/a>, and it left morale in the breakroom trash.<\/p>\n

Why stability may be the answer to long-term success, according to Ashley Goodall<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t get him wrong: Ashley\u2019s not against change. As a matter of fact, a little change keeps things fresh.<\/p>\n

What he\u2019s advocating for is to not have the workplace be \u201canother day in the blender<\/em>.\u201d Stability gives teams the chance to actually <\/strong>do<\/em><\/strong> their jobs<\/strong>\u2014master their roles, build trust, and, you know, get good at working together.<\/p>\n

\u201cLong-term planning is people planning<\/em>,\u201d as Ashley puts it. Research shows that healthy, stable work environments significantly boost employee satisfaction and productivity<\/a>. And if you want a thriving business 10 years from now, you have to create an environment where people want to stay, not just survive the next reorg.<\/p>\n

Look at companies forcing rapid shifts without listening to their people (ahem, Amazon\u2019s recent return-to-office mandate). The result? Disengagement, stress, and talented people quietly updating their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s for their next career change<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stability is what makes real innovation possible. When teams feel secure, they\u2019re more likely to take creative risks, think long-term, and deliver impactful work\u2014like launching a bold new project or collaborating on groundbreaking ideas without the fear of constant disruption.<\/p>\n

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Ashley Goodall\u2019s tips for leaders to create stability in the workplace<\/h2>\n

If constant change has your people scrambling, it\u2019s time to be honest with yourself<\/a> and dial it back. Here are a few tips from Ashley to create stability without losing momentum.<\/p>\n

1. Stop the endless team reshuffles<\/h3>\n

You can\u2019t manufacture trust between workpeople. It\u2019s something that comes with knowing each other beyond the job titles\u2026 through shared experiences, inside jokes, and weathering the occasional workstorm together. And it\u2019s something that influences your people\u2019s satisfaction and commitment to the company<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur experience of work is our experience of a team<\/em>,\u201d Ashley explains. \u201cAnd that gets better, the richer the team comes to know itself as time goes by and you sort of learn who these people are, and you learn what they\u2019re like, and you learn about their families and their kids, and you learn who\u2019s the best person to go to for this, this, and this<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

So when teams get rearranged like playlists on shuffle, you\u2019re forcing your people back to square one: figuring out dynamics, building rapport<\/a>, and playing \u201cwho-does-what\u201d all over again.<\/p>\n

Ashley\u2019s advice? Stop treating teams like temporary pop-up shops.<\/p>\n

Stability allows your people to work from a place of trust, where they get<\/em> each other\u2019s strengths, quirks, and working rhythms. And when they feel secure in their roles and relationships, they\u2019re way more likely to bring their boldest ideas to the table.<\/p>\n

2. Make changes feel coherent<\/h3>\n

\u201cThere is no significance without coherence<\/em>,\u201d Ashley says. And he\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

Change is good, but only when it\u2019s meaningful and logical. But when it feels random or disconnected, employees are left confused and disengaged.<\/p>\n

To avoid this chaos, leaders need to weave every new policy or reorganization into a clear, overarching narrative that everyone can follow. Research found that leaders who cultivate a sense of coherence and compassion<\/a> are better equipped to create environments where employees feel secure, understood, and valued<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Because, truth be told, at the end of the day, employees aren\u2019t just cogs in a machine. They want to understand how their efforts contribute to the bigger picture.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour first job as a leader is to maintain coherence in an organization; make sure that people have a reliable sense of what leads to what<\/em>,\u201d Ashley advises. Explain the why behind each change\u2014provide context, outline the benefits, and show how each change aligns with both individual and company goals.<\/p>\n

When employees see that changes are thoughtfully designed and directly beneficial, they\u2019re more likely to embrace them with enthusiasm.<\/p>\n

3. Treat employees like humans, not SKUmans<\/h3>\n

\u201cThe organization tends to treat humans, therefore, as interchangeable, defined by a few salient numerical values in a database somewhere<\/em>,\u201d Ashley points out. It\u2019s what he refers to as an SKU (stock keeping unit), where companies value employees only for their basic attributes (like age, tenure, or salary) rather than their unique talents, personalities, and contributions.<\/p>\n

But this mindset only strips away individuality, reducing vibrant people to lifeless entries on a spreadsheet. That\u2019s why Ashley emphasizes the importance of understanding what makes each person tick: \u201cDo you write down what makes them laugh? Do you write down what sort of leader they respond to best?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

The thing is, most companies don\u2019t (teams, yes, but organizations, no). But this is one of those leadership skills<\/a> that truly separates good managers from great ones. In fact, research shows that employees with supportive supervisors who encourage growth feel more motivated, valued, and satisfied at work<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So when you take the time to understand your people\u2014as humans, not \u201cSKUmans\u201d\u2014you can create environments where employees feel valued and motivated.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fuel your mind<\/h2>\n

If The Problem with Change<\/em> by Ashley Goodall teaches one thing, it\u2019s this: real leadership means taking care of your people.<\/p>\n

Because when you stop the constant reshuffling just to please shareholders and focus on treating employees like, well, humans, the results speak for themselves.<\/p>\n

Now, if you\u2019re looking for more insights that go beyond corporate clich\u00e9s, join the Mindvalley Book Club<\/strong><\/a>. You\u2019ll get the best personal growth book recommendations sent straight to your inbox\u2014bold ideas, fresh strategies, and leadership wisdom that lasts.<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s the exciting part: T<\/strong><\/em>he Problem with Change<\/em> is nominated for both the Mindvalley Book of the Year Award and the People\u2019s Choice Award. Want to have your say? Nominate your favorite personal growth book<\/a> for the awards.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Welcome in.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n