Everyone has experienced making a bad decision, or a performance shortfall. You can never redo what has passed, but you can recover to a better place than where you were before. How?
Most importantly, if your attitude or behavior becomes an impediment, it will dramatically affect your future. As the saying goes, “When you’re in a hole, stop digging”. That doesn’t mean you stop trying, just that you must turn your attention to positive strategies to move you in the right direction: Upward.
I have been coaching professionals for over 20 years. Some didn’t fit the culture, others needed to move up the ladder to the next level, and some were just in the wrong industry or job. I have also worked with entrepreneurs starting a new business. I have observed stark differences between those who took adversity and converted it into a long-term success. My observations:
- Having a business idea rejected is nothing new. What’s different is the belief you have in your idea and the persistence in making it work. Most successful people I know have kept moving forward, figured out the barriers and made the changes that made the difference.
- Some folk are just too impatient. I seldom see a business become an instant success, or someone new on the job become an outstanding performer overnight. If you have a terrific idea that no one is listening to, take a small project to demonstrate. Sometimes seeing is believing.
- On the other hand, some folk are just too slow. There are some things you can’t procrastinate. When you get a bad performance review, when you make a bad decision, or when you’re terminated, if you don’t get energized with an action plan, you lose. When you wait too long to find answers to questions that are career or life changing, the chances are they will be.
- Seek out the people who can help you. Some unfortunates want to hide and try to recover all by themselves. Bad decision. The best help you can get are from those who know you well, and know what you are capable of achieving. Network your contacts to help them understand your situation, the “why”, and what you need in order to find a solution.
- When a bad decision is made, unmake it as quickly and smoothly as possible. Hoping a bad decision will go away doesn’t work well. Make it better by figuring out how to reverse or modify the situation to give you time to make the right decision.
You may ask, “How do you know so much that you can give advice to me?”. I have experienced each of the issues of rejection (starting my own business), bad decisions (joining a company that was incompatible) and leaving 2 companies (a mismatched merger and a paranoid boss). After each disaster I came out stronger and at a higher level than before. I only give these words of encouragement because they work.
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