Despite how much you plan, how well you prepare, how strategic you think, things sometimes don’t go according to plan. Welcome to life folks! Things happen in your life from relationship issues to an unexpected health crisis to dealing with things like natural disasters and financial changes. At work, it’s project launches, work drama, layoffs and a number of other things. Let’s look at some key things that can help you navigate these times no matter the circumstance.
Keep yourself and your team focused on the positive.
It’s easy to get in the weeds and get negative during these times. It’s likely that the circumstances that led to the situation were out of your and your team’s control. It’s good to have the self-awareness that you can head in this direction so that you can be mindful enough to keep yourself out of the ditch.
Stay positive in front of your team (or friends and family) and don’t let them see that side of you to the best of your ability. They are looking at your example during this critical time. Some will be looking for permission to complain and others will be looking for you to set the tone. If you are overly negative you’ll be inviting others on the journey with you. At work this can be detrimental to your guests and clients that interact with your team during this time and outside work, it can sour relationships.
it’s Ok to complain and vent a little. Be sure to do it in private and with someone you trust. Acknowledge that emotion, get it out of your system and then move on. Avoid camping in that space as much as possible.
Overshare the larger vision and remember the why.
Your people need to be reminded of the larger vision constantly during this time. At work, share about the end result, or how the changes needed to happen. Remind them of the why. Focus their attention on the bigger picture and remind them that the current troubles or challenges are just temporary. At home, you may not know the why. Focus on the things that you still have or people in your life that you care deeply about. There is always something to be thankful for even in the tough times.
Celebrate the wins and progress.
When things aren’t going as planned, it’s a good idea to celebrate your wins with others no matter how small they are. This helps your team keep in the right frame of mind and stay focused on making progress or working through the issue or problem. The same really applies at home too. Celebrate the wins and progress together to keep things positive.
Step away for a moment if possible.
For a short-term and sudden problem that has arisen, you need to stay there and do your best to formulate a solution. If it’s something that is going to be longer than a day, be sure to make a moment to step away and de-stress a little. It could be just going out to lunch to your favorite place, going to exercise or just connecting with someone not involved in the situation.
Things will not always go according to plan. You can’t help that. You do control how you tackle the situation and how you influence others during those challenging times.
Make a better tomorrow.
-ZH
