Learn how to cope with change in the workplace, whether you’re a new employee finding your footing, a veteran employee trying to navigate a new work environment, or a soon-to-be retiree planning for the next stage in life.

There is no doubt that adapting to a new job can be overwhelming. A new work team, environment, culture, expectations and benefits package — there’s a lot for a new employee to process and which to assimilate. Fortunately, there are ways to make the transition seamless and comfortable.

In March 2016, Michelle Traber was hired to begin work as a human resources clerk with Ontario County. Her introduction as a new employee began even before her first day of work when she received an email outlining her benefits package.

“The email gave me an idea of what is available,” Traber says. “Seeing all the benefits … it was helpful and awesome. The health care package is fantastic.”

For Traber, making key connections with individuals who could advise her was important to her successful transition into the organization as a whole, as well as her department and work team. If you are wondering where to start, consider following Traber’s example.

Make a connection with your department head and ask when he or she is available for additional questions.

Get to know a couple of co-workers who are willing to explain information and show interest in getting to know you.

Identify an individual who appears energetic and positive throughout the day. “Find that person who is the glue for the department,” Traber says.

The overall culture at Ontario County is very friendly and welcoming. Each department has its own personality, but the one thing that brings everyone together is the commitment to health and wellness.

By getting to know your Wellness Champion, you will be able to identify opportunities like fitness challenges, lunch-and-learn sessions and preventive health-care services. Signing up for these opportunities might improve your health and wellness, and allow you to get better acquainted with people in other departments, as well as your own. Programs that fostered creating health and happiness at work and at home were a positive welcome to working for Ontario County.

“I just did a walking challenge through the Wellness Program,” Traber says. “When I started working here, I didn’t expect the county to do anything. It was like an extra. It’s very cool to see these wellness programs because wellness is important to my life.”

Ontario County provides programs and services that should be a regular part of a wellness program, as well as efforts made to manage one’s health at home. Whether you are a new or returning employee, consider this your Ontario County list of New Year’s resolutions.

Have you been part of your department or organization for an extended time — five, 10, 15 years or more? For long-term employees, struggles with change, personal relevancy and younger workers with a seemingly different set of values are all issues that can disrupt a sense of unity within the workplace.

Denise Schaller, a trainer with Ontario County’s Excelsior Program, an Ontario County certification program for employees to explore and advance their careers in leadership, is an expert on workplace cohesion and the multi-generational workforce.

Schaller understands how dynamics in a workplace can change as its employees leave or as new employees come in.

“Change is inevitable,” Schaller says. “Our society evolves just as our workplace evolves.”

Angst develops when your perception of change is not aligned with your values.

Your values are shaped by myriad factors, including the national and international landscape of your upbringing and adulthood. You might or might not share that common landscape with your work cohort, the individuals you’re surrounded by in the workplace.

With four different generations represented in the workplace today — Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Millennials — there are many places for angst to develop. Schaller says. However, although cohorts might be motivated by different rewards, people have more commonalities than differences.

Ontario County Corrections Division Deputy Sheriff David Barnard knows first-hand that finding common ground drives a positive work environment. In his mid-40s and part of Generation X, Barnard has been with Ontario County for 22 years.

“I’ve slowly watched the people who taught me what I know, retire,” Barnard says. “All the new hires are the same age as my kids. But I have a connection. I feel like I know what they are thinking.”

Schaller says finding that common ground rests on three truths:

The key, however, is to communicate often and get truly curious, not judgmental, about how others identify the conditions of their satisfaction.

“Respect means different things to different people,” Schaller says. “Get clear on what it means to you, then emulate it to others. It’s an ongoing conversation.”

For his part, Barnard asks new hires what their goals and aspirations are. He also finds common ground though hobbies.

“I learn things on a daily basis,” Barnard says. “The job is not learned in a day, a year, or three years. I have to be open to change.”

And when that fails him? “I keep my sense of humor to get me through most days,” he says.

Traditionalists: Born before 1946. The military was the largest employer, making Traditionalists comfortable with a heavy top-down management style. Their guiding work philosophy: You don’t have to like your job, just doing it is your reward.

Baby Boomers: 1946 – 1964. The increased population boom created a highly competitive environment. Their guiding work philosophy: Work hard and you’ll be rewarded by moving up the ladder. You live to work.

Generation X: 1965 – 1979. These individuals were raised as global citizens. They are tech savvy and grew up connected to people worldwide. Their guiding work philosophy: Don’t miss experiencing life. You work to live.

Millennials: 1980 – mid-1990s. These are the first true technology natives. Born into a high-tech world, they have watched the workplace evolve. Their guiding work philosophy: Work is only part of living a meaningful life.

Generation Z (aka Plurals): mid-1990s – Present. Compose about 25% of U.S. population, making them a larger demographic than the Baby Boomers or Millennials. Plurals are the children of GenXers and in their youth experienced 9/11 and The Great Recession.

Melissa Doyle, finance clerk for Ontario County Economic Development, enjoys yoga classes at the YMCA. She joined the YMCA after retiring from Kodak.

Are you close to retiring or considering retirement? Ontario County Economic Development Finance Clerk Melissa Doyle is intimately familiar with what is involved in getting ready for this next stage in life and the challenges that accompany it. Her expertise comes from having already experienced many forms of retirement in her professional career. 

In her early 20s and fresh out of college, Doyle landed a position at Kodak in supply chain management. Over the years she focused on different divisions — paper, film, cameras and thermal printers. 

“It was a great job,” Doyle says . “I really liked it.” 

As Doyle approached retirement age, Kodak began laying-off employees. In December 2005, when she was 55 1/2  — Kodak’s retirement age cutoff — the company offered her a retirement package, which she accepted. 

Whereas some individuals might spend months pondering retirement, Doyle says she didn’t need a lot of time to think about it. Kodak gave her three weeks. She spoke to her financial advisor, who gave her a plan, and Doyle took the offer. 

Speaking to a financial advisor is a must for anyone pondering or approaching retirement. In Doyle’s case, her advisor reviewed the numbers and said she should work part-time to earn a targeted amount each year and stay on-track with her financial goals. 

In November 2005, Doyle began working part-time at Snow Country, a ski shop in Pittsford, N.Y. The retirement package included an education bonus that Doyle used to take veterinary assistant and computer classes, but the jobs she found in those fields would have required her to work nights and weekends, so she stayed with Snow Country. 

For many people, personal identity is often tightly coiled around careers. Doyle, however, had, in addition to her job at Kodak, spent 35 years as a ski patrol volunteer at Bristol Mountain. 

“My job wasn’t everything,” she explains. “I had another identity outside of work.” 

Doyle recommends work or volunteering to stay connected to a learning and social environment. When she first retired, she worked a few hours each week as a docent at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua. Today, she substitutes as a docent.

Doyle also focused on the many positive aspects of her retirement.

“For where I was in my life when I retired, it was a relief,” she says. “It was a very stressful time, and since retirement, my health habits have improved.” 

Doyle replaced her morning work routine with regular visits to the YMCA. She goes every morning and enjoys the structure and social element. She also enjoys kayaking and is still an active skier, but is no longer on the ski patrol.

After Snow Country went bankrupt in 2006, Doyle worked at The Country Ewe in Canandaigua through the holiday season in December 2008. One month later, she started working full-time at Ontario County as a financial clerk, but because she is not involved in planning like she was at Kodak, her work is a lot less stressful. 

Now, Doyle is preparing for her second retirement — this time from Ontario County — in about a year. In terms of finances, she delayed her social security benefits until her retirement to increase the amount she receives.

“I’m ready to enjoy things with my friends who are retired,” she says. “Skiing and kayaking are just more enjoyable on the weekdays when it’s not as crowded. Retirement is all about options.”