| Often, or rather almost always, people tend to fight against what has already happened. And that is something we cannot overcome. If something occurs that we don’t like, the worst thing we can do is try to struggle against it.
If sales are below expectations, there’s no point in fighting for sales. It’s more important to think about why they are below expectations and take measures to improve them. If an employee is late for work, playing games with explanations, reprimands, and penalties is just dealing with a situation that has already occurred. Instead, it’s worth considering why they are late and what can be done to prevent it in the future. If we have a disjointed team, then any team-building activities, the creation of company “missions,” or internal promotion will not fundamentally change the situation, as the issue has already arisen. This leads to the question: “Why did it arise?” and we need to work on that “why.” If you’re running late for an important meeting and it’s clear you won’t make it on time, there’s no point in fighting for time, rushing, or getting anxious. It’s also pointless to expect a miracle and think that being late will somehow change from 9:00 to 8:45. You’re already late. Instead, you should focus on how to minimize the damage caused by your tardiness. For example, you could call before the meeting starts to let them know you see that you won’t make it, rather than arriving out of breath 20 minutes after it begins, apologizing for “traffic.” If you’ve made a mistake, there’s no need to fight it. The struggle lies in hiding the fact of the mistake from others, avoiding similar situations for yourself, and dwelling on your past failures. Instead, it’s better to take a step back, understand what went wrong, acknowledge it, learn from it, and then move on. It’s like rowing. You’re moving with your back to the goal, occasionally glancing back to see where you’re headed, realizing you’ve veered off course, and simply adjusting your oars instead of pretending everything is fine. Any mistakes and setbacks are just inputs for the management system. They carry as much negativity as the information that your boat is drifting slightly off course. In other words, none at all. Constantly adjusting your course is the essence of management. And adjustments are necessary because mistakes happen in the process, and mistakes happen because you’re working. Because you’re rowing. |