Managing Change: Unshakeable Success

Nothing ever really stays the same for long. This is especially true in business as people come and go, consumer interests change, and the world overall has its shifts. The thing about change is that it is always the beginning of new opportunities. If you look at your life right now, everything you’ve established had a beginning which ultimately was a result of the change.

The tricky thing here is that change often throws us off balance and it can be hard to navigate. Yet change is inevitable and we need to be prepared to handle it. The ability to do so starts with exactly that, anticipating change. Finding the positives won’t happen immediately, but this doesn’t mean you wait for them to present themselves. Actively searching for ways to make the most of your current situation is the starting point of success. 

Consider for a moment the difference in your attitude when change is imposed on you compared to when you decide to make a change. Well, one of course can feel like a punishment, it can be “this person's fault” or “just your bad luck”. Now the other is very different, it’s empowering and we look at it as something that’s going to be of great benefit. So how can you start to recognize change like that? Well, it starts with you being your own leader. Guiding yourself is the first step before you can even consider leading others. 

Going to this place where you can evaluate the situation with a clear mind is an executive skill that will no doubt serve you well. However, you still need to take action, so here are some things you can do:

Rectify The Situation

Once you’ve acknowledged the areas that aren’t going to serve you as a result of the change, begin looking for ways to mitigate them. This is important early on because the longer you let problems sit, the bigger they tend to become. For example, if you have a delivery that’s supposed to go to a client but the shipment gets cancelled. 

The best thing to do is notify your clients immediately and begin searching for answers. This is opposed to getting mad at the situation, waiting for updates while the deadline gets closer, and then choosing to notify at the last minute. In short, you can be frustrated with change but don’t expect any problem to solve itself— you have to create your ideal. 

What Can You Build On?

Shifting from problem-solving mode, what does this change present that could benefit other aspects of your life or business? The shift to remote work was a prime example of taking advantage of change for some. Some people lost their jobs and found better jobs or became entrepreneurs. This is of course a radical anomaly but it nonetheless shows the impact managing change can have long term. 

Create A Vision

Action is useless without purpose. Purpose ultimately derives from having a clear vision of what’s intended through your actions. You create a vision primarily to overcome something that’s not working for you. Whatever that may be, if you know something isn’t working, you should ultimately have an idea of what could be better. 

Think about the better situation. If you focus on it, you can start taking steps to bring it to life. If you are in a leadership role, ensure everyone on your team is aligned with this vision so everyone can understand the purpose of their efforts. 

Conclusion

Change is in no way easy, we are naturally programmed to feel unsettled or resist when change presents itself. Fighting against this natural urge is difficult but not impossible, because ultimately our drive and ambition are stronger than our natural instincts. 

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!

Leadership in a High Stress Environment

Did you know that leading people can be stressful? If you didn’t, here’s your “something new” to learn for the day. Leadership will test every bit of patience you have. Unfortunately, this will get the best of you at times. You will wish you had handled situations differently and have to own your mistakes. 

While leaders may like to think of themselves as adaptable, understanding, and generally composed, things happen outside the scope of daily practice in the workplace. Something to consider here is that when we become stressed out or overwhelmed, it feels like everything is coming at us. In reality, we may just be stuck finding a way to prioritize, effectively delegate, and manage our time to navigate the situation. 

This is important to keep in mind, especially considering how short a stressful time lasts when dealt with properly. As a leader, if you are difficult to deal with under pressure, your team will feel less comfortable and refrain from using their efforts to solve the issue. So, a leader could risk their reputation and team cohesion because of a short stress period. 

An effective leader wouldn’t want to risk that, so here’s how they can manage this better:

Begin With Yourself

Leaders who are not content with themselves will find it difficult being able to manage the needs of others. Having healthy rituals and outlets outside of your responsibilities that act as a form of catharsis should be the starting point for any leader. This will keep you and your emotions in check as you’ve allocated time to simply think, time that will not pour over into your work hours.

Manage

An essential part of being a leader is being able to manage numerous components of the daily operation. This includes managing time, emotions, and the team through difficult tasks. It starts with detachment from the scenario, a leader who can adapt and remain calm when faced with change will be able to manage the situation effectively. 

Additionally, a leader who gets the team involved, not by dishing out negativity, but by keeping everyone level-headed and focused, will be successful.

Never Assume The Facts

Constantly asking questions and clarifying the situation is critical. This eliminates a level of uncertainty while keeping the leader and team up to date. Imagine being faced with a problem, you spend days coming up with a solution just to find out critical details have changed.

Who’s fault is this? Leadership. It is not the fault of whatever decision-makers who would, of course, be the easy targets to blame. It is always on the leader to keep their approach and team up to date with the details.

Communicate

Whether this is a briefing or any other form that suits your organization, a leader should address what’s to come. This keeps everyone on the same page and gives the leader a chance to calmly address the situation. As a result, the team will feel more involved, the leader will see the situation more clearly, and everyone should have an idea of what is expected of them. 

It is especially important here to be clear and straight to the point while delivering messages. Leaders can then open up the discussion to hear the thoughts of their team and engage them in a discussion. 

Conclusion

Being a leader comes with immense pressure, navigating responsibilities is by no means a one-step process. It requires leaders to be attentive and have their heads on a swivel while understanding their role in everything that goes on. 

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!

How To Take Negative Feedback

If ever you’ve felt the crushing blow of disappointing or angering someone, you know that the interaction doesn’t end when the moment ends. The feeling can loom over you for a long time, lower your motivation, and impact your mood. Additionally, when this happens in a team setting, it can shake up communication and cause tension.

Negative feedback doesn’t only pertain to an internal team, a client for example might have a bone to pick with you. In this situation especially, how you react must be well thought out, emotions must be detached, and the situation will require careful analysis.

Now no matter the situation, there are always two ends, the receiver of negative feedback and the one giving it. For the one giving the feedback, answer the following: Is your emotional state in check? Is this feedback necessary? Who does this concern?

For the one receiving the feedback: What have I done to provoke this? What stakes does this person hold in the situation? Is my emotion in check? How can I prevent the situation from escalating?

This is a very complex dynamic, especially depending on the severity of the situation, a lot can be at stake. This is why taking inventory is crucial, analyzing the situation from both ends allows you to gain perspective and distance. It is critical to deal with these situations as you need to resolve the conflict. Not dealing with it is a whole other issue, without getting into how to avoid it. 

With that being said, here are some things to consider:

Cool Off Period

Time should be taken to step back from the negative, consider it from the opposing perspectives and look at what you are going to do to prevent future negatives. It could be an hour, the rest of the day, just enough time to step back to compose yourself and your thoughts. This kind of ownership says a lot about your character and will demonstrate that you want to be better.

This is not to be mistaken with procrastinating the issue, you are simply taking time to collect yourselves. A cool-off period will also allow a leader who may not be in a good headspace to consider their actions. Ultimately, you are working towards a civil conversation with this person.  

Clarification

The negative feedback can also be vague, when the recipient doesn’t know how to act on it, the feedback is useless. Ask questions about the feedback you’ve received, it’s one thing to look at it from your end, the critic, however, should have clearly defined areas that need improvement. You can begin to open the line of communication back up by doing so. 

Don’t Attach To The Negative

When receiving negative feedback, it hurts our ego initially, yet we need to realize that the feedback is not personal. Someone else's opinion of you or something you’ve done does not reflect who you are as a person. Don’t let feedback hinder your confidence or derail your progression. 

Conclusion

Being able to see the positivity in a negative situation is a very difficult thing to do and it’s only natural to feel down. It’s important here to reflect, take ownership of the role you’ve played in the situation and avoid the victim's mentality.

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!