Years ago, I read a book called Who Moved My Cheese? It’s a motivational book by Spencer Johnson written in the style of a parable. The book uses mice learning to navigate a maze to point out that change happens (whether we like it or not) and makes the following recommendations:

• Anticipate change
• Monitor change
• Adapt to change
• Enjoy change
• Be ready to change quickly and enjoy it again

I bring this up because I’m working on maintaining a good attitude about the current changes going on in the formats of Facebook’s business page and Twitter’s profile page.

Although it’s true that the formats we’ve been using in both cases had some limitations and challenges, I was used to them – and so were most of their other users. Now, like the mice in the book, I find myself forced to adapt.

Your Facebook Business Page Will Change

Everyone with a business page on Facebook was forewarned some time ago that the format of the page would be changing. However, we were not able to try out the new format and see how our individual information would look in the new format.

We could, however, opt to add ourselves to a list that would allow us to have a look at the changes to our page when our turn came, so I put my name on that list. Last week my page changed.

They moved my cheese.

At first, I was excited to see the new format simply because I had been waiting for several weeks to get it. Then, upon closer examination, I became frustrated because so many things were now in different places. Then I got more frustrated because it seemed that some things we had in the old format were simply gone.

Now I need to take the time to reacquaint myself with my own page. Instead of being excited, I’m grumpy because I have better things to do with my time than figure out how to find things in this new format. But then I remember what Spencer Johnson advocates, and remind myself to adapt to the change, as there is nothing I can do about it.

On the positive side, I recently learned that this format will go into effect for everyone with a business page on Facebook on June 5^th. It is nice to have a time certain so I can remind others that this change is coming.

It was also nice to have the change implemented on my page early so I can get used to it before my clients, students, and the readers of this blog start contacting me with questions about their altered Facebook business pages.

 Your Twitter Profile Page Will Change

Twitter is giving people a chance to see how their profile page will display when the new format takes effect and then decide whether they want to opt in or not. I really like this option, because it gave me the opportunity to see that my cover photo didn’t adapt well to the change and ask my website designer to tweak it before I switch to the new format. With the Facebook modifications, I had to ask her to make changes after the new format had gone live rather than before anyone other than she and I had seen it.

Since I don’t use Twitter as much as I use Facebook, I am not as put out about these changes as I am about the Facebook changes. However, that might not be the case for someone who spends a lot more time on Twitter.

Plus, I actually like the look of the new Twitter profile better – perhaps in part because Twitter simply made fewer changes overall than Facebook did. Either way, I am trying to remain positive about it all, and prepare for the next set of changes I didn’t ask for at some time in the future.

How About You?

What are your opinions about the new formats of the Twitter profile page and the Facebook business page? How do you feel about change in general?

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, to become more comfortable using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

She works with business owners, nonprofit organizations, retired people, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.