Managing Change: Acute Versus Chronic Pain

As children, we learn much about managing change (insert pain) and promoting success (insert healing) from our parents and our own lived experience, whether our childhood aches are physical or emotional, or both. When our family, friends, and caregivers prepare us for pain, we learn that change hurts; we learn that truth hurts; we learn that “nobody gets out without hurting.” When our family, friends, and caregivers prepare us for healing during our times of need, we learn that “time heals all wounds;” we learn that “if it doesn’t kill you, it will make you stronger;” we learn that scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue.

So now that we’re prepared for the pain (it hurts us more than it hurts them) and we know what to expect when we’re healed (scar tissue and a little cosmetic surgery), how do we get ourselves from the pain through the healing? Well, we also learn from those closest to us that if we quickly expose our wounds to oxygen (the world at large), our wounds will heal faster; we learn that acute pain is better than chronic pain; we learn that bandages should be removed swiftly in order to avoid prolonging the pain. By shortening the time for feeling pain, we allow more time for healing and it begins sooner rather than later. But more importantly, we also know that before the bandages are yanked from us like our own skin, we’ll get that kiss on the forehead (reassurance) and afterward, we’ll get ice cream (reward) or something with an equal amount of sugar.

With our expectation of continuous improvement in the present and the promise of healing (insert success) in the future, we must anticipate and understand that it only follows pain (insert change). If we accept that change is constant in our work and personal lives and we accept that change often comes with some discomfort or pain, then managing change well becomes a critical component of creating a successful and happy future. Success is longer lasting and we are able to reap the benefits sooner rather than later. However, for those of us responsible for managing change (and we all are at some professional or personal level), the management of change must include those elements of reassurance and reward. And while change may be chronic, the pain associated with it doesn’t have to be. Just as chronic pain is exhausting, chronic healing and chronic success is exhilarating.

So remember – Reassurance, execution, reward; Kiss on the forehead, rip off the bandages, ice cream.