Ch-Ch-Changes

I used to despise change.

Maybe it’s the bittersweet pull of nostalgia, or maybe it’s just one of the ways my anxiety manifests. But from the time I was a child, I can remember feeling a deeply rooted aversion to change — and my family’s bewilderment when I would do things like hide the clunky old remote from my grandma’s ancient TV set in the back of my dresser drawer when she upgraded to a new one. I couldn’t bear to let it — or the memories of rewinding my favorite Blockbuster tapes (talk about nostalgia) — go.

Some change is good, of course. I learned that as I grew older. I was terrified to move out of my childhood home at 18, but I quickly fell in love with my independence at college, meeting new people and living in a new place.

Then, I was laid off from my first journalism job, which seemed like a pretty bad life change at the time, staring down the barrel of unemployment at 23. But the winding, unexpected path I followed after, working as a secretary and English tutor between writing gigs, led me to the job I always dreamed of, working as a magazine editor.

Change is a constant, and it’s a fact of life — one I’ve learned, through trial and error, to embrace as best I can.

QA has been covering change a lot these days, from our March/April cover story on navigating the transition from academia to industry, to rapid-fire regulatory updates, like phasing out synthetic dyes, delaying traceability and withdrawing the framework for Salmonella in poultry, to the unprecedented mass layoffs (and subsequent reinstatements), funding and program cuts and abrupt leadership changes occurring at agencies like FDA, CDC and USDA.

With all this change in the air, it’s hard to keep up, let alone carry on resiliently in the fight against foodborne illness. That’s why, in this issue, we decided to bring readers the resources needed to successfully lead through change — planned or unplanned — and thrive in an ever-changing industry.

In our cover story, learn how change management — a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams and organizations from a current state to a future state — and a focus on people while leading with empathy, compassion and trust can help you tackle any fork in the road you may encounter, all while building hope for the future.

Change can be unpleasant and uncomfortable. It also can be transformative and affirming. Either way, it’s a constant, and it’s a fact of life: one I’ve learned, through trial and error, to embrace as best I can. The way we meet it makes all the difference.

But don’t get it twisted: I’m still holding a grudge against the mystery person (cough, cough, mom) who found and discarded Gramma’s relic remote from my childhood dresser drawer.