Estímulo funcional Por otro lado, entre los estímulos funcionales podemos destacar la concepción de mobiliario utilizado

People respond to changes in many different ways, and how we, as individuals, perceive change often determines how we react to it. In general, any change to the status quo—a new situation, unexpected event, or unmet expectation—is initially met with apprehension and frustration, and is experienced as negative unless accompanied by ad- equate forewarning and additional, reassuring, information.

Imagine that your company has decided to reorganize and you are told that you will be getting a new boss and you will be asked to perform a new job. How would you feel? You could find yourself go- ing through several emotions. Basic psychology tells us that when our actions toward the things we want (technically called goal-directed be- havior) are blocked, interrupted, or delayed, we experience frustra- tion. The feeling of frustration drives a variety of subsequent behaviors, which differ from person to person depending on his or her personality and situational factors. The most prevalent response to frustration, though, is anger or aggression toward those who are changing our plans or getting in our way—yelling and complaining are socially approved ways to express frustration, but overt physical aggression is not unheard of. Other reactions to frustration include the tendency to avoid those who are frustrating us (for example, by calling in sick); the desire to escape the frustrating situation (for ex- ample, by fantasizing about leaving the company); “regressive” be- haviors, such as feeling hopeless and wanting to cry; and physiological and psychological stress. These initial frustration reactions are quite natural, perhaps hard-wired into the makeup of most of us. Unfor- tunately, none of these gut reactions really help us deal with the change that caused our frustration in the first place. Instead, they take energy that could be applied to the changed situation (in this ex- ample, learning about our new boss and job) rather than dissipating it in somewhat unproductive activities (in this example, anger, com- plaining, and calling in sick).

However, once we get over the initial frustration we can get back on track, start to think of the situation as a problem to be solved (rather than a personal attack) and return our focus to the real goal (in this example, getting along with our new boss and doing a good job). During this time, through problem solving and decision mak- ing (technically called the increased striving stage), we try to under- stand what has really happened to us and assess whether and how we can learn to live with it. We analyze and evaluate just how “bad” the situation is and begin to strategize our way out, around, or over the barrier that we now see blocking our path.

Once we figure this out, we can take well-thought-out action and work toward reestablishing our connection to the original goal that was taken away from us. Should this fail—and it may—we are at least better prepared to seek a reasonable substitute. These “try harder,” “get back into the game,” “never give up” feelings and be- haviors can be very productive, certainly more so than the frustration we initially felt.

During major organizational change, virtually all affected em- ployees experience frustration at the same time and go through these stages, although at different rates and degrees. Managing the collec- tive emotional state of an organization is not an easy job; inexperi- enced managers and executives may not even know that it exists, labeling discontent with the changes at hand as simply resistance and skepticism. In fact, resistance is a reasonably good indication of frus- tration, while skepticism is a good indication that individuals have moved into the problem-solving and decision-making (increased striving) stage. Executives who wish to manage change need to help employees move from the resistance stage, through the skepticism stage, and into the support stage.

A good sign that people have entered the skeptic state is their raising questions about the proposed changes and beginning to look for a rationale that makes sense to them before they can begin to feel comfortable again. Before they lend their support, many skeptics need to be convinced that the proposed changes are good for them

and the long-term survival of the company. Some may offer alterna- tive strategies for dealing with the business issues at hand, once they understand them. They want to be included in the process—a sign to them that they are valued and respected as individuals.

With increased communication from the organization, some in- dividuals will have their skepticism addressed to their satisfaction, and they will become supporters. Supporters are those who ulti- mately like and agree with the change being proposed, and are will- ing to exert effort to support it; to them the change is good. Other individuals will find their earlier fears confirmed and decide that they cannot go along with the changes. Some may decide that the changes are not in their best interests and choose to take their talents else- where: they may leave the organization or seek a transfer to another department.

One key to overcoming frustration is information. The amount of accurate information you have about the change, in particular, the potential impact of the change on you—answers to the question, “What’s in it for me?”—can and will affect how long you remain frustrated. Honest and accurate information is the antidote to con- cerns and fears brought on by impending change. Seeking informa- tion is a natural response to disruptions to the status quo; it is an attempt to reestablish stability in a seemingly unstable world.