3 great tips for maintaining your professional effectiveness in challenging workplace situations

There is no doubt that the current economic situation presents many challenges:

-            You may be directly affected by redundancy

-            You may be uncertain about the security of your job

-            You may be expected to deliver the same results with less resources.

-            You may know other people who are facing these situations.

All this uncertainty means there’s an undeniable increase in pressure within many workplaces and businesses.

Here are 3 simple tips and strategies aimed at helping you take control and make deliberate, proactive decisions even in the most difficult situations and challenging times.

Tip 1: Choose your response

We have all seen two people faced with the same situation respond in different ways, and they both achieve different outcomes. Understanding that we can choose how we repond to any situation can significantly influence our outcomes.  By raising awareness of this fact and apply it to every situation, you are better able to be proactive and get the results to want.

A poor response will likely lead to a poor outcome. So if you are faced with a difficult situation, ask yourself questions that encourage you to consider the issue proactively. For example, asking ‘how can I turn this around to my advantage?’ is more likely to lead you to better options than asking ‘why does this kind of things always happen to me?’

Consider the following equation:

"Events in our lives" + "Our responses to those events" = "The outcomes we get"

Or to take it one step further:

"Events in our lives" [along with the Meaning we decide to give the events] + "Our responses to those events" = "The outcomes we get"

So you can see that our responses are highly influenced by the meaning we give to a situation.

This can be a real mind shift as it invites you to define responsibility as “the ability to choose your response”.

Take some time to consider how you can internalise this concept and if you are having a hard time believing it ask instead - what is the alternative? That each person is at the mercy of events that happen to them and has little control over their future and we can only react based on how we feel at the time.

I’m sure you will agree that embracing your choices is a more attractive option.

Tip 2: Know your objective

Develop the habit of asking yourself at least once a day ‘what am I trying to achieve? What’s my goal here?’ This is a great technique for preparing for a stressful meeting as it encourages you to stay on topic and manage any nerves, as well as preparing to respond well to any disagreements or challenges that may arise.

Time spent becoming clear on what you want to be, to do and to have in life, is time well spent - you are setting yourself up with focus and motivation which can be applied to everyday opportunities, allowing you to grasp them rather than pass you by.

Tip 3: Choose your battles

In any given situation there will be a number of factors over which you have direct influence or ability to change and others that are beyond your control. Your first aim is to recognise and act on the things you can influence; your second is to maintain a healthy attitude towards those you can’t, so that they don’t interfere with how you feel and behave.

A great example of this is going for an internal promotion. Spending time worrying or talking with colleagues about who else might be going for it and rating your chances against these people – these all sit firmly in the area of things you cannot affect, so spend very little time and energy here.  Things you can influence are how well you prepared, what you wear, how rested you are before the interview and the self-talk you use to boost your confidence.

This kind of thinking is encapsulated in Stephen Covey’s concept of the circle of influence and the circle of concern. Look him up if you would like to know learn more about focusing your efforts.

In Conclusion

Many of us need a certain amount of pressure so that we feel challenged. However prolonged pressure can have real negative effects. Feeling stuck in a high-pressure situation can diminish the performance of even the most robust people. Taking control and making proactive decisions, even in difficult situations, can help boost your performance and keep you postive during challenging times.