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23. Bite the head of a frog
Description:
Tough issues and decisions often get put off until a "better time" to deal with them. When you have a painful or difficult issue to deal with, make it a point to go into the office and deal with the issue early or at a specific time, i.e., do the distasteful deed proactively and get it out of the way. You will find that it's less stressful for you and has a positive impact on your productivity as you won't be worried about the issue all day.
Take care of your most "distasteful" issue first and it clears the way for a better day.
Key points:
Deal with the "ugly" issues early and avoid procrastination
Address tough issues early in the day
Evaluate consequences and prepare for the impact
Plan for the event and get your act together
Approach the issue with a win-win perspective
Category:
IT Assessment
IT Strategy & Planning
x IT Project Management and Processes
x IT Organization and Staff
IT Financial Management
IT Measurements and Communication
Discussion:
Most of us have this thing called a "procrastination factor". When we have a tough issue to deal with, we often put it off until the very last possible moment.
This burns up a tremendous amount of energy, creates a lot of stress, and lowers our productivity quite a bit because we can't stop thinking about the tough session we are about to have when we finally deal with our tough issue. There is a solution. Take care of your ugliest situation first thing in the day and get it out of the way.
Deal with the "ugly" issues early and avoid procrastination - Once you are prepared, tackle your toughest issues early and avoid procrastinating. Putting it off doesn't do anything but build up anxiety and cause you to lose focus on important issues of the day so handle the problem and move on.
Address tough issues early in the day - Handling your toughest issues first thing will make you feel better that day. Think of it as "biting the head of the frog" being the worst thing you have to do that day. Go ahead, do it, and get past it so you can be productive the rest of the day.
Evaluate consequences and prepare for the impact - Once you determine how you need to handle a tough issues, it's best to go ahead and handle it. Be sure to evaluate the downside and possible ramifications so you go in prepared. In many cases, the toughest part is the anxiety that builds leading up to when you actually deal with the issue. If you have prepared well, handling the issue won't be as tough as you think.
Plan for the event and get your act together - Do whatever it takes to prepare. Seek help from those with experience in such matters and develop a planned approach. If it's a really tough employee or client issue, it's worth the time to prepare.
Approach the issue with a win-win perspective - Approach tough situations with a win-win attitude and seek a way for both you and the other party to find something positive with your solution. For example, if I have to fire someone for consistent unacceptable performance, I approach the issue in the perspective that I'm helping the employee move on to another career opportunity where he/she will be successful. It's unfair for the company, my team, myself, and especially the employee to allow him/her to continue working when he/she is not going to be successful.
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