Topic: Role Transition and Strategies

Step 1: Write down all of the positive aspects of your old role. What did you like or enjoy most about the old role? What aspects of the old role do you miss the most?

Step 2: Write down all of the negative aspects of your old role. This can be very difficult to think about. However, there’s always at least something negative!

Step 3: Write down the negative aspects of your new role. Try to be as specific as possible and describe the negative aspects in as much detail as possible.

Step 4: Write down the positive aspects of your new role. This is the most difficult part of the exercise but you may be able to find some if you think long enough - and try hard enough. There may be something positive about your new role even if it doesn’t seem very big or important right now. If you can’t think of anything, ask the Support Group [pop-up to Support Group] for help. Somebody may have been in a similar situation.

Step 5: Spend some time comparing the positive and negative aspects of your old and new roles. After looking at the evidence, was the old role really all good? Is your new role really all bad? You know what the challenges of your new role are. What are the potential opportunities? Is there any possible way to get anything positive out of your new role?

Step 6: Spend some time thinking about how your new role has affected your relationships. What were you like in your old relationships? What are you like in your new relationships? Is there anything you’d like to change in your behavior or communication style? What are your goals?

Step 7: Spend some time thinking about whether or not there is anything you can do to cope better with your role transitions. Are there any changes you can make in how you’re thinking or behaving? What specific changes could you work on?

Take the time to really think carefully about your role transition and complete the Role Transition exercises suggested above. This will be hard work and it’ll likely take some time. Most people who struggle with a role transition have trouble seeing anything negative about the old role - and anything positive about the new role. You may need help by getting a different perspective from a friend, or ask the Support Group for help. That’s what we are here for.