As I navigated a tough situation yesterday, there were some significant wins, and as many recommend, it's good to celebrate the small wins.
When first encountering the situation, it was overwhelming, but as I worked with others to chop away at the tasks at hand, that overwhelming feeling began to lessen. Breaking tough situations down into manageable pieces is always a good strategy.
As I worked, I also discussed a couple of struggles that are creating this tough situation. It was good to clearly discuss some of the antecedents that created the situation we're in--antecedents related to gender roles and narrow, prejudicial language.
And, when stumped, I reached out to a few experts to get their advice as to how to deal with the situational details at hand. Those experts had good advice.
The tasks involved some good teamwork, learning, better organization, and a sense of accomplishment too. That made people happy which was positive.
I'll keep this experience in mind as I encounter tough situations ahead. I'll bring forth the following lessons:
- Use positive, proactive, respectful, honest language
- Play to people's strengths
- Break down tough jobs into manageable pieces
- Focus on the small wins
- Create an atmosphere that's well organized and positive