By: Patty Prosser
Good Leadership: Getting Unstuck
Even the best of us, from time to time, feel a little “Stuck”. Whether it’s a career impasse or a project we’re wrestling with, sometimes we just lose our momentum.
Sometimes it only takes a change in environment or simply taking a break to help get our creative juices flowing. And, occasionally, it helps to share your dilemma with a colleague to push you forward. That was the case with one of my clients, Jonathan, recently.
Usually, Jonathan was good at solving puzzles at work and was frequently asked to take on problems that others hadn’t been able to solve. But then Jonathan was tasked with a particularly complex issue, with lots of moving parts, and his normally creative brain just stopped. He felt stumped and didn’t know where to go next.
My first advice to Jonathan was to pause and take a break, to get out of the office so that he could think. I then suggested that he share the issue with someone he could trust, to help him see the issue from a different perspective. And, you know what, that really helped him. Not that the colleague had the answer to the problem he was trying to solve, but that he asked questions that helped Jonathan see possibilities. This finally enabled Jonathan to re-tackle the issue and come up with several solutions that might work.
Sometimes, it helps to talk to a friend, mentor, or trusted professional to get a fresh perspective. So, the next time you are feeling “stuck” and are uncertain about which direction you might choose, here are some other things you might try:
- Take a break: Step away from the situation to clear your mind. A short break can help you gain a fresh perspective when you return.
- Change your scenery: Physically move to a different location, whether by taking a walk, going to a park, or even just rearranging your workspace.
- Reset your mindset: Consciously control your thoughts. Practice gratitude or focus on something positive to change your emotional state.
- Move your body: Get up and move. Physical activity can help stimulate different parts of the brain and improve clarity.
- Try breaking the problem or issue down into smaller pieces: Break a large project into smaller, more manageable chunks and take the first, most obvious next step.
- Do something inconsistent: Break your usual routine by doing something completely different to shake up your current emotional state and habits.
- Focus on one thing at a time: Avoid feeling overwhelmed by concentrating on a single task or issue instead of trying to tackle everything at once.
Remember, there’s more than one way to tackle a problem or issue. Sometimes you just might need a little help! And as always, if you or other leaders in your organization are facing similar challenges, please visit our website at The Center for Leadership Excellence.
And if you have a “prickly” leadership issue you’d like me to explore in a future blog, please reach out to me directly – I’d love to hear from you.
Patty Prosser, Co-Founder and Coaching Practice Leader at The Center for Leadership Excellence,317-727-6464 or at pprosser@cciindy.com.