Transition

These days "transition" is a word lots of people are using. "In with the new and out with the old." Change. While folks have varying opinions - positive and negative - about it, without question one commonality is that it represents a challenge for all. In Washington, D.C., for instance, there are those very excited to be taking on new challenges with new perspectives and priorities. Others, though, are dreading making adjustments to the status quo. Whether one supports transition or does their best to combat it, without question it is a reality of life that is ignored only at one's peril. Change that leads to transition is inevitable. How well one deals with it is not.

Transitioning from one point to another is also a communication challenge. Soon the Department of Energy, to cite another example, is going to have a new director whose style of leadership, vision and priorities will be different from the person being replaced. How will those differences be explained? Who will be explaining them? Who is the intended audience? How will success of such an effort be measured? Will these communication efforts be carried out with a level of sensitivity to give folks most affected in the transitioning time to adjust? Answering these and other fundamental questions is part of the communication process.

One of the major problems within the United States is the varying degrees of willingness people have in adjusting to and/or coping with transition. Same-sex couples can now marry. Marijuana is legal in a number of states. More and more people come from multi-cultural backgrounds. A female came extremely close to being elected President. There are lots of folks who had and still have major difficulty in accepting these changes and even more problems adjusting from how life was before these things happen to how they are now. Effective communication can help ease the stress that comes with change. It can make the path down the road of transition less bumpy.