My wife Sue loves roller coasters. When we dated in college, she dragged me to Ohio’s Cedar Point to “enjoy” some of the biggest, baddest roller coasters on the planet. The challenge for me, though, was that roller coasters terrified me! I remember approaching the top of the coaster, my stress level ratcheting up with each click, click, click. I leaned back, pushed back hard on the hand rail, wishing somehow I could stop the car and regain control — and avoid the crazy unknown about to confront me.

I finally confessed my terror to Sue. She simply said, “Come on. We’re going to go again, and this time I want you to lean forward, scream as loud as you can, and enjoy the ride!” In what was to become a regular theme in my life … she was right. I leaned forward, screamed my head off, and had a blast. She literally taught me how to let go and enjoy change instead of resisting it.

Change exists everywhere at Wolverine right now. New power plants, new headquarters, new service centers, new assignments and, this week, new management teams. I’m well aware how stressful change can be; all of us react differently to change based upon our natural wiring and our past experiences. Some of us naturally avoid it, some of us naturally embrace it.

I still get uneasy with certain types of change. The difference for me is that, now when I feel the stress, I’ve learned to ask myself or close associates, “Why?” Sometimes the honest answer tells me trust my instincts — the change is dangerous or could represent unnecessary risk to Wolverine. Many times it’s just my natural push back to impending change. So the next time you hear the click, click, click, check in with yourself. It might be time to lean forward, scream a little, and enjoy the ride.