Sunday, August 11, 2013

Get Unstuck

How many of us feel "stuck" in some way in our lives? We habitually do certain things each day without thinking of them and never question if there may be a better way.  I have a colleague who was labeled as "stuck" in his work for a few years in a row.  He's a wonderful guy with numerous work-related accolades and could have easily coasted until retirement and fought off his detractors.

The incredible thing, when he was confronted with being "stuck," he never fought it or raged against it and his critics.  He analyzed it calmly,  looked at his work, sought out a respected colleague and began reworking his daily practice.  The results were astounding--improvement all around and a more joyful human being. 

A true lesson in humility, open-mindedness, and professionalism that very few people seem capable of doing. 
After all, seeing ourselves the way we truly are is one of life's greatest challenges.

Here's my colleague's Remedy for Getting "Unstuck"
1.  Listen to your critics
2.  Assume they are 100% right (even if you know they are not)
3.  Fight off any tendencies to lash back and just listen
4.  Bounce the critic's ideas off of a respected, non-invested colleague
5.  Develop a plan of attack to address your deficiencies

Last tip: *Don't waste time vilifying critics.  It's what they expect you to do.  They will be shocked when you take the info and make rapid adjustments.