Good morning and Happy Monday!
I am listing to the book, The Storyteller by Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame (as well as Scream). The current chapter is Every Day is a Blank Page. Which I thought might be appropriate to consider at the beginning of the week. I’m listening on Audible and it is a highly recommended read or listen.
Make today count for you! Write your own page.
I was talking with a friend the other day about how much staff need certainty in their work and their environment within work.
Whenever there is uncertainty, depending the impact, we tend to withhold energy. That energy can be in terms of productivity, affection, being outgoing in a group, signing up for a new course or “thing” that looks interesting.
Uncertainty, in essence, holds us back, even if what we are looking at is desirable!
Think back thigh school (easier for some than others!) and the guy or girl who caught your eye. 😉
My friend was commenting on how well his manager presented at a staff forum when there were a myriad of questions from the floor about how Covid was affecting them. People were looking for certainty!
His manager was giving a masterclass on how to deal with such a setting with questions coming form a every which way! He and his other colleagues thought they'd never be able to do such a thing.
I thought about this and challenged his thinking about his perception. I think he could do it, as might his colleagues. And probably, a lot easier than he might think.
This isn't about looking at the world through rose coloured glasses or simply think the best of people to flatter them unnecessarily.
I genuinely think this is reality.
I have been in situations where the train has definitely been wrecked.
I remember a time, as Head of Human Resources, bringing a conglomerate of small businesses together to be a national company had its challenges. In one forum I had someone yelling at me, from across the floor, "I have never signed and employment contract and I never will!" Good times. 😂
But even in that environment, I was sure of my position. There needed to be some education within the business about the basic operations of the business, like employment contracts. However, I was caught off guard by the outburst, a couple of people piled on and … I handled the situation well. Because I had to. I took a breath, calmly responded and offered that we could talk after the meeting. And in all of this, I had a plane to catch!
I had the right frame of mind.
Now, if you asked me what I do if such a situation came up, I may have thought it through and replied, "Buggered if I know!" And wish for the situation to never arise. But when I had to deal with the situation, I hope I looked like a swan, gliding effortlessly across the water while paddling like mad below!
Back to my friend and the staff forum on Covid.
Looking at someone deliver with such a sense of calmness and control, we may think we couldn't do that.
It comes to our frame of mind.
How are we thinking going into challenging situations? If there is an option, we may defer to the less risky option. Or do nothing at all.
But have you noticed, where there is no option, we tend to rise to the challenge? It’s like, "Oh well, here goes nothing!" But we proceed and succeed.
Note Everyone Likes You … and that’s okay!
I was advised when I started in a training role, that out of 100 people in an audience there will be seven who will not like you and/or your message. That means, for the mathematicians reading this, 93 people will either like you or be ambivalent to your message.
Which will we choose to focus on?
The seven likely have other issues or contexts which your message does not fit into. You cannot control or fix that*.
Many of the people in the room will quietly applaud your courage. Of course they never tell you this so you can't bask in the warmth of their admiration. In that instance you really are "on your own".
Also, and many leaders and managers will agree with this, leadership can be a lonely road. So, you will likely not get kudos you hope for.
Needs, Musts
Think of the things you need to do. And this is so beneficial as there are many things we don't need to do. But if you focus on the musts in our roles and our lives and then develop a frame of mind to succeed, you may be pleasantly surprised how well you progress.
Will it go right first time? Possibly! (You thought I was going to say No, didn't you?) But it might go well the first time. Why? Because you know it's the first time. And you'll prepare like it's the first time, And you be very purposeful, so you don't get off track. Because it’s the first time. And it will likely go well!
But, also, no, it might not go well. But that'll be #1. You most likely get to do it again! And again. You get to practice and you get to do it LIVE AND IN PERSON! 😉
Just don't get "off stage" and forget about it. Reflect on it and take lessons from it and go again. Get in the right frame of mind.
*-You cannot control or fix someone else’s attitude or how they look at life. You are not the “Captain of the World.”
#dontstress