From canceling a contract to dealing with a team member who is not pulling their weight, it is always better to deal with these situations sooner than later. It makes good sense, but why don’t we do it? It is human nature to put off things that don’t feel good, while we try to rush the things that do feel good. What ends up happening is, the good is over and we have a lot of bad to deal with.

I find it helpful to do a bit of a paradigm shift and turn the difficult subjects into more present ones. I can do this by focusing on the outcomes, rather then on the task at hand. If I need to have a difficult talk with a team member, I do not focus on the conversation, but rather I focus on the result of the conversation. This way, not only will I be sure to deal with the issue in a more timely fashion, I will, in the hours before the conversation, be able to focus on good and positive thoughts that can only help me think of solutions rather then fear-based choices.

This seems to work for me whether I am dealing with my work place, family, or consulting. I aim to focus on the positive and work my way around the rest. I should also note that this does not always come natural to me at all times, but with a little practice, I have become much more in tuned with this important behaviour in myself.

Leadership Quote,

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”
Albert Einstein

Steve Whiteside is a consultant specializing in organizational development, leadership and motivational workshops. You can contact him at, 604-786-5677.