You are a Helper. You are always there to support those in your orbit when they are working through change. Whether you are setting up chairs for a meeting or bringing by a casserole, without your help change would be a lot harder for everyone.

The first words out of your mouth when showing up to a meeting or get-together are often "What can I do to help?" This makes you invaluable to any team trying to get things done. While you may dislike meetings that decide how to approach a change, when there is a call for volunteers you're the first to sign up. You may also be hesitant about big changes to the way your helpful duties are usually done, but if given clear instructions and expectations, you can adjust.

Strengths:

• Always stepping up and pitching in
• Sticking around until the job is done
• Organizing other helpers to get the work accomplished

Challenges:

• Losing patience with brainstorming and processing in meetings
• Struggling with unclear instructions or expectations
• Burning out if there are not enough helpers to share the load

Change Strategies:

Make the need for care part of conversations around change. Articulate clearly the needs of others that must be met before they can take on the deeper work of change. Recruit others for helping tasks and delegate. You don’t have to do it all yourself. If your organization does not have enough helpers, a strategy shift may be needed, but your over-functioning will not solve that problem. Be attentive to your needs and practice self-care.

Reflect on these questions to deepen your understanding of your relationship to change:

• Where do you find yourself challenged by change?
• How do you feel when you first hear about a coming change?
• When have you found unexpected gifts in an unwanted change?