One explanation for Friday the thirteenth being an unlucky day is that Friday is the day Jesus was crucified. But what does Friday the 13th have to do with change management? In this blog we will make a connection between Friday the thirteenth and change management.

Today is Friday the thirteenth, this day is also known as unlucky day. Some think it's nonsense, while others stay safely at home all day. Friday the thirteenth is an age-old myth. There is no clear answer as to when exactly Friday the thirteenth came into existence.

Thought and attitude determine your (un)happiness!

To what extent can we measure happiness? The answer is “not,” because happiness is subjective. English researcher Richard Wiseman from Hertfordshire University concluded after extensive scientific research that happiness ultimately revolves around your own thoughts and attitude. Of course, fate is not in our own hands, but the following example shows that happiness or unhappiness is subjective.

We've all been late before, but you don't want to be late for your flight. So you get up extra early so you can leave on time. The bad luck starts in the morning, because you get stuck in traffic during the drive to the airport. You think: “I'm having that bad luck again… I'll be late soon.” Then you get to the airport and you just miss your flight, you think again “what bad luck….” A few hours later, the same plane had to make a very dangerous emergency landing that almost ended fatally. Everything you first experienced as bad luck, you now experience as good luck.

You force happiness

What does change management have to do with good or bad luck? You may have heard the following sentence:

“You force happiness”

Richard Wiseman investigated whether you can force happiness. He selected 2 groups. 1: people who considered themselves lucky and 2: people who considered themselves unlucky. The people who considered themselves lucky had similar traits such as: optimistic, outgoing and open to new experiences. And with those qualities, forcing happiness is easier, because they are also more likely to encounter situations that can bring happiness. These people can also more easily turn something negative into something positive. For example: is it bad luck that your car is destroyed by a storm, or is it good luck because you were not in it? Here too, attitude and thoughts are decisive. Negative people see it as bad luck while positive people see it as good luck.

Conclusion

Positive and optimistic thinking can lead to greater happiness. In change management it is therefore important that you highlight the positivity of the change. As in previous blogs about change management your employees determine the success of the change. Only radiate positivity so that they also think positively about the change.

Business Improvement

Do you want to apply change management immediately, but you don't know how? Or do you not know whether change management is suitable for you? We are happy to help you on your way Business Improvement.