Pro-Achievers Don’t Let Setbacks Affect Their Control
After more than 4 arduous months Sherry and her energized team who are familiar with the core tenets of pro-achieving were nearing the end of completing an important and complicated project. The success of the project would determine whether or not their role as a team in the organization would stay intact. Suddenly, word came down from upper management that, due to the impact of Covid-19, budgets were being strained, requiring her team to complete the project 3 weeks before the target deadline, which, on the face of it, would mean she would have to push her staff to the brink of tolerance, and maybe even mutiny, in an effort to wrap up the project by the new deadline.
At first, Sherry was shocked and heard her teammates refer to the setback as “a disaster.” But, unlike others who might throw their hands up in frustration and allow all hope to vanish, Sherry chose to view the situation as a challenge needing a solution and levelheaded control. She took steps to quickly regain her emotional balance, gathered her team, and put what happened in perspective by using a skill I call the 2M Simultaneous Focus which is a multidimensional way of looking at a situation by factoring in two perspectives simultaneously: 1) the Macro picture and, 2) the Micro picture.
The 2M technique can be used instantly in situations without detection from others. Sherry mentally placed herself in the macro or bigger picture while asking herself such questions as ”How important will this issue be in a week from now?” and “What about a month from now?” When considering similar past projects, she asked, “Did the team and I skate through other projects without experiencing any setbacks or unexpected issues? Did these projects get delivered on time and were they successful?” After considering these and similar questions, she reminded herself that the team has always pulled through, and there was no reason to believe this effort would be any different.
With renewed confidence and determination, Sherry pulled the team members together and framed the situation as another challenge to undertake. Throughout the discussion, she focused on the immediate problem (micro picture) asking probing questions to find ways the team could do things a little bit better and in less time than they had done in the past. What impressed Sherry throughout the exchange, was that none of the team members, who also adopted the attributes of pro-achievement, made any excuses nor were they quick to despair. The focus was on remedying the situation and learning from it.
How do I know all this? Because Sherry pro-achieved by taking the time to thank me and tell me exactly what happened and how, by using the 2M Simultaneous Focus, she handled a discouraging event a little bit better than she had in the past! It certainly was a pleasant surprise to learn about her experience. It made my day!
