Tag: office

college life, communications, Employee engagement, empowering women, leadership, motivation, personal growth

Dealing with setbacks

Setbacks

Let’s face it. Sometimes life doesn’t go as we plan. How we deal with those setbacks either propels us forward or pulls us deeper into the abyss.

Setbacks require change on your part. It’s ok that it happened. But you can’t keep putting forth the same efforts if you are expecting different results. You’ve got to be willing to try a different approach before you’ll see change take root.

Take time to look at what isn’t working. Think about why it doesn’t. You’ve got to avoid actions that have caused you problems in the past.

Emotions can also cause you to drift off course. When you realize you are heading in the wrong direction, you need to work to get back on track. There is a right way and a wrong way; what you should realize is that the wrong way of doing things is by trying to get everyone else to do it the “right” way.

Be prepared. Expect the unexpected. Things are going to happen along your journey. You’ve got to find it within yourself to keep moving forward.

Don’t expect your first plan to work every time. You can’t hit a home run all of the time. Be prepared with a plan B and C and G and L – you’ve got 26 letters to work with after all. Just because your first option didn’t work, doesn’t mean the next one won’t.

Most of all, you’ve got to keep an open mind. If you try something that doesn’t work, don’t get frustrated and quit. Keep at it. If it’s important to you, go that extra mile and you’ll be proud you did.

business, communications, corporate culture, Employee engagement, empowering women, personal growth

She started talked and never shut up

Shut up

You know that person. The one at the office you dread to see show up at your door. The one who can go on and on about their weekend, their problems, the guy in the cubicle next to them, and everything else that crosses their mind. How do they keep on talking without ever taking a breath?

The one that even when you attempt to interrupt just keeps right on talking over you? It’s like they are determined to talk no matter what anyone else might have to offer.

What if that person is you? Are you even aware of how much you dominate a conversation? Maybe it’s your way of feeling connected, but when you overshare your “me” stories, people often feel that they aren’t valued contributors. It’s important to take time and assess how you interact in these situations. Don’t forget – silence can be golden.

People need the space between words to process and put together thoughts. You need to learn to listen for the valuable pieces of information you might normally overlook. A lot of people listen with the intent of responding, not processing. When you are already compiling your response in your head before someone has finished telling you the information, you’re bound to miss vital pieces of information.

Try this tidbit in your next meeting and see if it opens deeper discussion or perhaps clues you into things you’ve been missing. If you are normally the first person to speak up with ideas, try holding off. See if your pause will allow someone else to initiate a conversation. Before you speak, take the time to think about what the person is really trying to get across.