86,401 Ways to Deal at Work

“It’s Monday morning, maybe 10am, and I’m already fuming…. So worked up, I am beside myself.”

Has this ever happened to you? Come on, get real with me. Of course it has. We’ve all experienced it. Someone that pushes our buttons, either all the time, or just once too much. And boom, we’re there. On the edge. Brewing. Stewing. Pacing. Muttering. On the brink of a blowout.

And sometimes we do blow, regrettably so.

Other times, we hold on. We keep it together. On the surface at least. But inside, it’s a different story altogether. Our cells are firing on all cylinders. Blood is boiling. Nerves twitching.

I think you get the picture.

Now what?

How you handle yourself at this time is critical.

People are watching. They’re always watching. Waiting for people like us to screw up. Waiting to turn our actions into the next inner office gossip ring.

Of course there’s the usual suggestions …. Just breathe… do a pro/con list… throw them under the bus before they throw you under… fire them…yell….make a scene… be the bigger person… ignore them…and on and on. But really… do any of them work? Not likely.

My favorites? And the ones that I’m practicing right now…. As I sit in front of the computer with a cup of tea and a bag of chocolate covered almonds (even though I’m on a cleanse, haha)…

1. Wait 24 hours. Let my jets cool and the emotions subside. ( that actually is worth 86,400 seconds of dignity saved). Self-diffusing the situation.

2. Talk to him/her/them. Openly, honestly, respectfully. Lead with curiosity, not certainty. And get to the bottom of the situation right away, not letting it fester any longer.

It’s as simple as that. Get control of yourself before you can get control of the situation.

Lead on my friends. Lead better than you have been led in the past. Set a new standard in Leadership. And love every minute of the learning along the path to building a phenomenal Leader in yourself.