The Importance of Detachment: Business Essential

Imagine the feeling of walking away from a situation knowing you could’ve handled it better, the anxiousness and disappointment knowing there was more you could’ve done. Now imagine the sense of fulfillment knowing you did your best to handle a situation or conflict. Each scenario is on an entirely different end of the spectrum. Yet both results are born out of your ability to analyze what response a situation calls for.

Oftentimes when a negative result or situation presents itself, it is because the people involved are too emotionally invested. For this reason, a leader needs to be able to remove their emotions or feelings from the situation allowing them to detach and think critically. This concept can be confusing, of course, you want to be passionate about what you’re doing. Being overly invested however takes away from the ability to read a situation logically. For this reason, we must have the ability to detach and look at it from a neutral position. 

An overly attached leader for example will have a tendency to micromanage, possibly lash out, and want control of everything and everyone. On the other hand, a detached leader will be able to respond to situations calmly, with the most beneficial outcome for the team in mind. The same concept applies at every level of an organization. Teams must be clear and concise in their communication, knowing what the goal is while also operating in the present.

Detachment does not mean uninterested, in this context it means living in the now and seeing a situation for what it truly is. If you are too attached to something, the end goal may cloud the opportunity for valuable input. It’s very common to be attached to an outcome, especially considering how fast-paced a business environment is. However, to get ahead, you have to plant your feet where you are. It is best to designate time where you can put aside planning for what's to come and focus on what you have to do. 

Ultimately there can be long-term benefits and success to mastering the ability of detachment, this article shows how detachment from outcome can lead to stronger outcomes. 

Here are some areas to focus on while you do this: 

What Could Be Forgotten?

Sometimes focusing on the details of what’s to come or what could happen diverts attention away from what’s going on right now. This risks the proficiency of how something is done and wastes attention that should be spent doing it. 

If you find yourself not able to focus on what’s in front of you because you are too attached to the outcome, take the time to make a list of what needs to be done right now. This method is actively detaching, it will outline the consequences of being too emotionally invested.

Situational Context

Particularly in a scenario where a conflict can arise between you and someone else, the natural response is to match the emotions expressed by the other person, or even overpower them. However, this will not solve anything and just make communication more difficult with this person in the future. 

Instead, realize what’s going on with them, maybe they have a pressing situation they are not detached from. Here, it is useful to recognize their situation and remain calm, provide a rationale, and bring them back to a neutral headspace. Additionally, this will keep you level headed, prepared for further contingencies that could arise. 

Remain Open-Minded About The Outcome

Having a fixed idea of the ideal outcome will narrow down your view if things don’t go exactly as planned. This is when you become too attached to the outcome and anything different feels like a failure.

Now it’s, by all means, good to have a vision for what you want, but being fixated on it may make you fail to see the benefits that come with different outcomes. For this reason, detaching from perfectionism will allow you and your team to work in a supportive and flexible environment. 

Acknowledge Feedback Not Feelings

It is not unheard of to have to work with someone you don’t get along with or like, individuals can have differences that inhibit their ability to take feedback from each other. However, in a situation involving decision-making, a leader must detach from these feelings. 

Your personal view of someone can hinder their credibility in your eyes. When this happens, we tend to write off their opinions. This can lead to leaving great ideas or insight on the table and hurt the efficiency of task completion. Detaching is important here, it allows you to stay neutral and commit to serving the needs of the team.

Conclusion

The hardest thing anyone can do is manage their emotions at all times, yet it is one of the most useful skills anyone can have. Detaching is exactly that, keeping your emotions under control and remaining neutral while finding optimal outcomes for everyone involved. 

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

Importance of Environment: 2022 Hybrid Work Analysis

We are creatures of habit, the world endlessly encounters change that challenges the habits we’ve come to know. The most important characteristic we can demonstrate in situations like this is adaptability. Being able to adapt is what allows us to succeed, seeing as success does not come untested. The recent shift to remote work has shaken up the way companies operate and tested their efficiency without being physically connected. 

This has resulted in dramatic boosts in productivity and effective task completion. It was found that remote work is completed with 40% fewer mistakes. Additionally, the ability to work remotely has had its benefits on employee satisfaction. One company surveyed in 2019 found that 71% of their employees working remotely were happy with their job compared to 55% who were in person.

In the case of today’s workforce, upwards of 56% of companies are transitioning to remote work in the United States alone. The popular opinion here is that workers are much more effective when they’re able to work from home. Why is that? If there’s been this standard procedure of going into an office for years, why is the at-home model being favored? 

If we consider all the elements eliminated from the workday (commute, wardrobe, coffee, lunch) there is a lot of time and money being saved over time. Employees can now allocate this additional time and money to areas most beneficial to them and not just for “fueling” or “getting through” the day. 

The big dilemma being faced by organizations is that now the world is shifting back to how things were before. With this, a return to in-person work is included yet employees have become accustomed to this new lifestyle of working from home. The reason there is a conflict is that remote working was supposed to be temporary. Yet because of the duration that remote work has been in effect, we have adapted to it and used it to our benefit. This has created tension in organizations and even led to employees leaving their jobs for being required to come back in person. 

The ultimate goal of any organization is to have a team that performs at its maximum capability. Leaders are constantly looking for ways to allow this to happen but they may be missing one of the biggest opportunities to do so. The shift to remote work has seemingly broken barriers to new levels of effectiveness. A remote shift does not mean that the organization never has to meet in person, there should be designated times for this. However, allowing employees to work in their preferred environment makes their creativity flow freely. 

Here are some reasons why:

Everyone Is Different

A one size fits all approach to work is never going to be optimal seeing as everybody has different needs for their productivity and creativity. A cubical can never represent or be turned into someone's ideal space. Some may need more natural light, certain scents, be able to dress their preferred way, be able to think/talk out loud, the list is endless. Essentially, gathering a team in one collective spot to do their work will not yield optimal results for every member. 

Mental Well-Being

Just as the space someone works in enhances their creative process, it allows them to feel in control of what they are doing. In some cases, it may even make them feel more in control of their lives. We can become so detached from our personal lives spending over 40 hours a week in the office. Remote work allows people to bring the workplace closer to their personal life, which some may see as an issue but anyone who loves working from home will tell you it’s not. It’s about finding the balance, and the balance is a lot easier to find when you’re in touch with your reality. 

Increased Recruitment Pool

With the alleviated stress of someone having to relocate, organizations can bring in talent from just about anywhere. This brings in new perspectives and even allows people who may not have had the opportunity to work at the location, a chance to grow in the organization. This puts leaders in a position where they can evaluate the talent they wouldn’t have had access to and apply it to roles in their teams. 

Conclusion

Change is inevitable and can be unexpected, however, change also goes one of two ways. Which way it goes is up to those experiencing the change, you can look at it as happening to you or happening for you. Using any circumstance in your life to your advantage comes from identifying the big picture and not settling for anything less than the desired outcome.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

Standing Your Ground: Guide To An Effective “No”

Having plenty on the go at work gets overwhelming, unfortunately for someone with a people-pleasing character, they may not turn away further tasks. They end up accepting and the work continues to pile on. This can be frustrating and may seem like a dilemma between two people. However, not being able to say "no" is an internal conflict one faces with themselves. This kind of situation can be difficult to manage as it may feel like a moral obligation to accept. 

Yet, if someone has enough on the go then taking on more tasks will inhibit their ability to focus on the more pressing obligations. As a professional in the workplace, it is important to prioritize and execute tasks to create opportunities for more tasks. Additionally, a professional must recognize when it is necessary to detach from their people's pleasing tendencies. 

The goal is to balance the desire to please others with the responsibility of carrying out promises you make to yourself. Why this is important is because not fulfilling your promises will begin to impact your relationship with yourself. Of course in the position of an employee, you take the duties assigned and complete them to the best of your ability. Yet now you’re in an environment where you’re dealing with people, and unfortunately, some may not recognize the value of what you provide. 

This can lead to further requests with the expectation that there’s no issue for you if you don’t speak up. Now the situation causes you to deal with potentially unnecessary stress. Nonetheless, the moral obligations felt can cause us to just roll with it as a means of avoiding issues (which may not even be there in the first place). 

There is a dichotomy present here, as the fear of guilt from not taking on the extra requests can be met with the guilt of not fully tending to the original responsibilities. What’s also important to consider is that the scenario can have an authority figure making the requests. This makes just saying “no” ineffective and warrants negotiation. 

The idea of saying “no” in business is a lot more complex than it seems, so here are some ways you can actively stand your ground. 

Draw Your Boundaries 

At the end of the day, you’re a professional and your responsibilities remain a top priority. Now of course if someone brings something very pressing and requires action, tend to it. Essentially you want to use the prioritize and execute method with every situation you face at work. This makes identifying the issues which you can control automatic and then you can be efficient in your task completion. 

Provide Rationale

When that co-worker comes at you with something they’d “like your help on” but you’ve got deadlines, say exactly that. “Hey forward me the info and I’ll check it out when I'm done with my other projects”. Or if it is just something you can’t get to “I’d love to help, but the team has my full attention right now, count me in for the next one”. This very basic yet open form of communication demonstrates that you care and it also avoids added stress when you’re in the weeds. 

Find Alternatives

To ensure your “no” is effective, provide an alternate proposal as a means of making up for missing the task (if necessary). There are going to be situations where you may not be able to help the other person in time which is where rationale comes in. When you can help, negotiate meeting times that fit your schedule, essentially you want to help but only so much that it doesn’t derail you. If you can’t take on the full scope of what they’re asking, offer to complete maybe a portion of it.

This is especially important if the request is coming from an authority figure, additionally, it will reflect your empathy and competence for your work. 

Look For Help

As another form of compromise, if someone is looking for you to help them, see if they can help you in exchange. This creates a give-and-take relationship and bypasses negativity, especially if the person is willing to help you in some capacity that will free up your time. Additionally, if they have a reason they cannot help you then you just tell them they’ll have to wait. Re-adjusting and evaluating your position in situations like this are the key to mutually beneficial outcomes. 

Conclusion

Working in a team requires individuals to operate at the best level they can, it demands everyone pull their weight. Yet some situations may present opportunities to bite off more than you can chew. As a team member, it may be tempting to accept for fear of what the other person will think. However, these opportunities should never put someone in a position that may hinder the quality of their prior responsibilities.

This is why teams must follow the guidelines of prioritizing and executing, to make their effort yield the most optimal outcome for everyone. To do this, detach and evaluate when to say “yes” and when to say “no”.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!