Do you have a Pause Button?
Great leaders must have an internal “Pause Button".
Leadership requires working with many different people and being involved in the important things that make the organization run well. Often leaders are faced with very challenging situations that arise such as workload, external pressures, staff performance issues, character issues, etc.
When these situations aren't resolved quickly, or a plan to improve the situation isn’t established, relationships or the organization can deteriorate. Having a "Pause Button" provides a way to prevent a difficult situation from ending badly!
Do you have a Pause Button?
What do you do when challenging situations arise?
Does the following sequence sound familiar.
No Pause Button Process:
1. You become overwhelmed
2. You get upset with people and situations
3. You get frustrated with people and their performance
4. You get critical of people and their behaviors
5. You get angry and disappointment
6. You share publicly about your dissatisfaction with person(s) or situations.
7. You experience disillusionment
8. You desire to detach from a person or situation.
This is serious!! I have been in leadership roles for many years and yet I still don’t hit the "Pause Button" at times. Maybe you can relate to a situation where a relationship was damaged, or a mission failed because you weren’t able to stop a similar sequence. How many relationships could remain healthy if we could just learn to pause?
I hit my pause button whenever I feel myself going from solution finder and diplomat to hyper focusing on the current ramifications of a situation or persons behavior. Also, if communication is failing or stalling, I know it is time to pause.
When I hit the Pause Button I will:
1. Politely end encounter and leave my surroundings.
2. Begin to focus on big picture not current situation.
3. Realize that God is in control and all I can do is give 100%.
4. Remember that "Rome wasn’t built in a day."
5. Look at a person through the lens of love and not judgement.
6. Determine best time to resume relationship activity.
7. Engage again with new approach and a healthy partnership attitude. Keeping focus on solutions that all can accept or at a minimum understand!
I would love to know if this was helpful and if you have steps you take to prevent a negative outcome when a challenging situation or a challenge regarding a person arises.
Sal Ferlise - Founder, Dot Drives - from donation to celebration, all in one simple software
www.dotdrives.com #leadership #communication #pause #pausebutton