All of us come to work some days with a personal problem or concern on our minds. When my father was dying of heart disease, I was challenged to focus. We wouldn't be human if we could completely "turn-off" our personal lives the moment we started work each morning.
How can we separate our personal lives so we can carry on effectively at work with the assignments at hand?
Start by asking yourself, "Is there anything I can do right now to correct this personal problem?" Sometimes there is.
When you've determined that nothing can be done to solve a personal dilemma at work, try plunging into the task you are doing. For many people the greatest temporary relief is to get their minds as far from the problem as possible...at least until that time when something can be done.
The problem will still be there later...and the time away from it may help you gain perspective you need to deal with it later.
"I have found that the best way to handle personal problems is to look them right in the eye, and also to make sure I have my reading glasses on first." --- Anonymous
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Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Pessimistic People
Pessimistic people always see the downside.
The other day a good friend of mine shared a story:
Seems there was this duck hunter who needed a new bird dog, so he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve the duck.
Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him.
He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a true pessimist, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog.
As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. They fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water.
The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet.
The friend saw everything but didn’t say a single word.
On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, “Did you notice anything funny about my new dog?”
“I sure did,” responded his friend. “He can’t swim!”
True pessimists never change, it is founded into his or her culture. No matter what strategy you may use to bring out the "optimist" in them, its never works. "Culture eats strategy for breakfast"- Ivan Misner
Leaders recognize this pessimistic culture, accept it, and move on...sometimes using it to his or her advantage.
The other day a good friend of mine shared a story:
Seems there was this duck hunter who needed a new bird dog, so he found a dog that could actually walk on water to retrieve the duck.
Shocked by his find, he was sure none of his friends would ever believe him.
He decided to try to break the news to a friend of his, a true pessimist, and invited him to hunt with him and his new dog.
As they waited by the shore, a flock of ducks flew by. They fired, and a duck fell. The dog responded and jumped into the water.
The dog, however, did not sink but instead walked across the water to retrieve the bird, never getting more than his paws wet.
The friend saw everything but didn’t say a single word.
On the drive home the hunter asked his friend, “Did you notice anything funny about my new dog?”
“I sure did,” responded his friend. “He can’t swim!”
True pessimists never change, it is founded into his or her culture. No matter what strategy you may use to bring out the "optimist" in them, its never works. "Culture eats strategy for breakfast"- Ivan Misner
Leaders recognize this pessimistic culture, accept it, and move on...sometimes using it to his or her advantage.
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Sunday, March 9, 2014
Champion Communications - Part Deux
Managing Differences*
Do you every find yourself in a conversation and you feel that it is not going the way you want it to?
I know I do...try this:
When you think a difference exists, then...
How do you handle it? Define the difference:
---State what is important to you, and why.
---Clarify/confirm what is important to the other person, and why.
Next...
When you are willing and able to consider alternatives,
How do you make that happen? Discuss the differences:
---Explore ideas to find acceptable solutions.
However...
When you are unwilling or unable to consider alternatives, or you are unable to reach a mutually acceptable decision,
How do you handle that? Terminate the discussion:
---Acknowledge the others person's right to differ.
---Explain what you have decided, and why.
"You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time." - Abraham Lincoln
*Learning International
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Do you every find yourself in a conversation and you feel that it is not going the way you want it to?
I know I do...try this:
When you think a difference exists, then...
How do you handle it? Define the difference:
---State what is important to you, and why.
---Clarify/confirm what is important to the other person, and why.
Next...
When you are willing and able to consider alternatives,
How do you make that happen? Discuss the differences:
---Explore ideas to find acceptable solutions.
However...
When you are unwilling or unable to consider alternatives, or you are unable to reach a mutually acceptable decision,
How do you handle that? Terminate the discussion:
---Acknowledge the others person's right to differ.
---Explain what you have decided, and why.
"You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time." - Abraham Lincoln
*Learning International
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