Training to manage change Published March 27, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Rebekah Phy 305th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs McGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE, N.J. -- For servicemembers, change is something that can happen on a daily basis. From joint basing to restructure and reorganization, change can be overwhelming. But, change can also be an opportunity, according to the Dale Carnegie Training. McGuire, Fort Dix and Lakehurst personnel recently attended a "Managing change to achieve positive results" seminar here. The training aimed to help servicemembers see change as an opportunity, to evaluate the impact of change on professional and personal lives, to utilize the Dale Carnegie principles to help manage change effectively and to develop a personal action plan to embrace change. "The seminar was to help military personnel develop tools to more effectively manage change," said Fred Walker, Dale Carnegie Training corporate training specialist. "Our (Dale Carnegie's) involvement with the military, in general, is to help service personnel to be even more effective in their work so they can be mission focused and provide for the safety and security of the country." According to their Web site, Dale Carnegie Training has evolved from one man's belief in the power of self-improvement to a performance-based training company with offices worldwide. It focuses on giving people in business the opportunity to sharpen their skills and improve their performance in order to build positive, steady and profitable results. There are three steps to remember to help to positively manage change, Mr. Walker said. Step 1: Picture desired future state. Step 2: Examine current situation. Step 3: Create a vision that leads to goals and objectives to accomplish the desired future state or change. The seminar included several group exercises to help relate the training to real-life situations. Attendees also completed a "Change Response Profile" to see how they naturally respond to change and where they may need to improve. For Linda Richardson, 305th Mission Support Squadron chief of education and training flight, who set up the seminar, Dale Carnegie was an easy choice. "With all of the change happening here, including preparing for upcoming joint basing, it was a great time to arrange this seminar for the base," she said. "For people to really accept change, they have to change at the self level ... Dale Carnegie sends a really positive message about change. They seem to have a really positive impact on those who attend, encouraging positive attitudes about change and a willingness to make it successful," Ms. Richardson said. "It was nice to see such a good turn out." As a participant, Tech. Sgt. Christine Ulch, 314th Recruiting Squadron flight chief, found the seminar very useful. "The seminar was informative, motivating and complementary to the Professional Military Education I have experienced regarding the same topic. Opportunities for training always provide something to 'take away'; to help improve my leadership skills, management style or organizational technique," Sergeant Ulch said. "As the Air Force continues its transformation, understanding and applying positive change management techniques can be the difference between success and failure of an individual or organization."