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🤔 The Intersection of Disciplines

🤔 The Intersection of Disciplines

I always knew I wanted to be a teacher growing up, except for that small stint after Legally Blonde came out where I wanted to be a lawyer.

After having a fabulous High School Psychology teacher, I made my choice. I was going to teach Psychology, but to teach Psychology, I had to major in "Social Studies" 😐.

At the time, "Social Studies" was poorly taught history classes focused on memorizing dates and nothing more. At 18, I didn't truly understand why all the different disciplines of Social Studies bubbled up into one category. Finally, in college, I realized they aren't just separate fields of study. History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology are pieces of a larger puzzle that help us understand human behavior and societal dynamics.

My goal as a teacher became to make my classroom the place where students learned to recognize the connection between all the different disciplines. I became obsessed with how these connections fueled the world around us, and now those connections fuel how I view Change Management.

Read on to get a glimpse into why I believe that Change Management is the practical application of Social Studies, and why I still feel like I am doing the same job I went to school for... just a little differently. 👇🏼

How it All Comes Together:

🧠 Psychology & Human Nature

The most obvious connection to social studies comes in the role psychology plays in change management. How do people react to change? What fears or motivations are at play?

In change management, like in psychology, recognizing these patterns is key to guiding people through transformation. As we increasingly face changes in our fast-paced world, the principles of human psychology become even more significant.

Understanding resistance to change, stress responses, motivational drivers, and cognitive biases provides invaluable insights. This understanding helps us not only anticipate reactions but also tailor our approaches to change in a way that resonates with and supports the psychological needs of our team.

👥 Sociology & Collective Response

Then there’s sociology, offering insights into how groups and company cultures react to change. It's about understanding the collective mindset and leveraging that knowledge to facilitate smoother transitions within organizations.

As we navigate through an era where change has become a constant, the sociological perspective becomes even more crucial. It helps us to comprehend and address the dynamics of group behavior, cultural norms, and social structures that influence how change is perceived and adopted within an organization.

Think of how we have seen phenomenons like "Quiet Quitting" and "Act Your Wage" impact changes like the movement to return to office. How society reacts to change as a collective should impact your change strategy internally.

🕒 History as a Guide

History doesn't just repeat itself; it offers us a blueprint for improvement. In the context of organizational change, a historical perspective allows us to analyze previous transformations – both successful and unsuccessful.

We learn not only from our own organizational history but also from the broader history of industry trends, technological advancements, and shifts in business models. By integrating lessons from the past, we can craft change strategies that are more resilient, adaptive, and aligned with both our immediate goals and long-term vision.

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Published by:

Ema Roloff

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