Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
I know that sometimes, the daily grind is hard to face.
Some days, it feels hard to walk into the building where you work.
It's a heavy and unpleasant feeling to carry around.
Workplace pressures, difficult colleagues or clients can make us feel this way.
Or maybe something has gone badly wrong on a project, and you're not sure how you'll fix it.
Many managers have been in those shoes (me included).
Here’s one way to improve the situation and your mood.
Focus on what you can do today.
Don’t let yourself worry about what could happen tomorrow, next week, or by year-end.
Decide what the most critical problem is to work on today.
What’s the one thing that, if solved, would remove most of the pressure you’re feeling?
Focus on that, even if it's an incremental step.
For example, if it’s a project problem you can’t fully resolve in one day, tackle the root cause first.
If a shipment is delayed and that’s causing the problem, get a new and firm delivery date. Then create a revised work plan around that date.
Or find a new supplier if they can deliver sooner.
Find ways to mitigate damage that the delay will cause to your client and to other suppliers that may be involved.
That’s managing the situation rather than being a victim of circumstance.
If sales are way off forecast and you know you can’t meet your budget numbers, you'll need to re-forecast sooner rather than later.
Delivering bad news isn't pleasant, so make sure your revision is thorough before you bring it to your boss.
They will want to see a convincing plan that shows how you’ll limit the damage to profits.
Management is ultimately about solving problems.
See it that way, and they become challenges rather than chains.
Some problems can’t be fixed in a day.
Focus on what you can do now, and be clear about what needs more time, help or a change in expectations.
Make today a little more manageable, one step at a time.
Very best,
David O'Beirne