What does Change mean to you? Is Change a positive experience in your life? Have you lived it with optimism? Have Change brought achievement and unexpected results to your career or business? Welcome our new Cross-cultural Communications Coach and Change Facilitator Rosa M. Mollo.

Having a nomadic life as a frontline journalist made me an enthusiast of the geography of communications. My passion – or perhaps I should call it obsession- is to help people to be mindful and to understand how groups from different cultures think and work. I know firsthand how crucial it is that a project or a message transcend cross-cultural obstacles to create genuine and lasting interactions. When we connect better, when we understand how people and things fit together, then we have the power to change the course of events, and walk towards our full potential.

However, first, we need to take swift and decisive action to deal with challenges. This is why I want to launch this monthly column reflecting together on Change, because Change -at work and in life – is an intimate process of understanding what is going on around us (behaviors, culture, values, needs, priorities…).

In a way, Change is like dancing. We need to first feel the music intimately, but when we dance –collaborate- with others is when we really embrace it. Too many businesses, regardless of whether it is a small entrepreneur adventure or a larger company, fail or stumble because they lack clarity about what Change really means to them. They simply don’t know how to make Change an asset as opposed to a liability.

Many people associate Change with something negative: chaos, revolution, uncertainty, insecurity, indecision, hesitation, doubts, etc. For me, Change always means excitement and opportunity. Perhaps it is because my life has always been about constant change. For whatever reason, through the years I learned that Change, per se, means nothing. It’s the way we use it and how we actively become part of it that allows us to convert a complex situation into a smooth and transformative transition. And more importantly, the way we embed Change is the way we behave and how we respond to create a lasting positive impact on the people around us.

Contrary to what others think, Change is not only an external event that impacts upon us. It is also about the way we respond to those events that truly define the actions we need to make to gain control of the situation from a new perspective. The ability to take control of that turmoil – dance with it- and design a new direction significantly different than the previous one, then engage the rest of the members of your team –the other dancers that were used to another music – and persuade them to head into a new direction – new movement, sometimes unknown and uncertain-, THAT is Change.

Picture again a group of people who are working on a new choreography that involves how they negotiate and design the sequence of steps and movements. They need to create a specific composition, the training, the rhythm, the message, even the position of the dancers (who leads, and why), or the order of appearance on the stage. Absolutely everything has a purpose and a meaning to reach a positive impact and a successful outcome. They may even need to redefine some movements, tempos, relocate some actors, and do adjustments, otherwise the result will be confusing, right?

Therefore, my first contribution to LatinasinBusiness.us is to tell you “never be afraid of Change”, because it can be a fun and very transformative experience if you create the right musical score for the choreography that you envision.

To me, Change is a concept for optimists and visionaries, thinkers and builders, dreamers and explorers. Also, those that are not afraid to be called the crazy ones because they are willing to walk the extra mile to push the boundaries of the possible. Change is for people who care about others, because Change is inclusive and conciliatory. When I lived in Asia, I learned the importance of bringing harmony to our daily life. I had to adapt my mindset, and my Western way of doing things, to a new environment to conclude that Change, ultimately, becomes an opportunity maker. When we are able to adapt our thinking, and usually, our doing as well, to the challenges we face, we give confidence to those that wrongly associate Change to something negative. If we are capable of simultaneously become enablers and listeners, then we will be part of a fascinating experience, because Change is always about fixing, improving, and expanding.

So, stop for a second and visualize this word in your mind … C H A N G E. Now write down your thoughts about what this concept means to you, without thinking twice, censoring or filtering the first images and ideas that come to you. I suggest you write your thoughts, because it will help you to keep track of your own evolution and perception on this matter. Are you going through a transition right now that I can help you with? I would love to hear about your life and work experiences around Change.