Message from the President

Managing Through Transition - Know Yourself
May 12-13, 2015
Ottawa Conference and Event Centre
200 Coventry Road, Ottawa

Message from the CIPMM President

Gabriel Cormier | BIO
Senior Faculty Member at the Canada School of Public Service 

Ponderings on change surround us: “the only constant is change” (Heraclitus); “change is the law of life” (John F. Kennedy); “if you don’t like something, change it” (Maya Angelou); “a change is gonna come” (Sam Cooke). Change is inevitable.  How we deal with it at the office either strengthens us or reduces our ability to move forward and seek new opportunities.

We all bring our emotions, values, and past experiences with us to our jobs, and those things influence our reactions to workplace situations, regardless of the department, subject matter or area of expertise. This dynamic often increases in intensity as we navigate significant transitions in our work place.

There are typically stages in our adjustment to changes such as denial, resistance, exploration, and acceptance. We rarely move through these stages in a linear fashion. We all utilize different coping strategies to deal with transitions and uncertainty. It is common for employees to become more vocal in demanding more information, or just to vent. Others may become more avoidant and isolate themselves, choosing to focus on immediate tasks and block out the bigger picture.

Support is often required to help us manage through these difficult times. Performance in the federal government is highly dependent on people. Federal departments and agencies are people-centered organizations, both in terms of the Canadians they serve and how services are delivered.

I hope this year’s National Workshop can lay the foundation to help you manage through transition.  As well, I hope it provides you with ideas on how to adapt to the way things are or are going to be.

Enjoy yourself, learn, meet new people through networking, but mostly, discover the benefits of knowing yourself better and managing through transition.