Finding the Opportunity - Tuesday's Top Tip
Tuesday’s Top Tip
“The Pessimist Sees Difficulty in Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity in Every Difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
There is no question, these times are challenging. We are met with negative press and media coverage at every turn and rarely does good news make it to the front pages. Our problems appear to outweigh our solutions and it is easy for even the most motivated and zealous character to become disheartened.
We can’t expect control everything around us and, frustratingly, unexpected situations often occur when we need to be on top of our game. Therefore, we need to have a strategy in pace to deal with the problems when they occur.
The art of turning a problem into an opportunity is a skill which can be learned. It requires clear thinking, and that can only be achieved by acceptance, and then focus. When Leaders work hard, but continue to face irritating hitches, there is only one thing to be done; accept the problem, look for the opportunities in it, and move on.
Rule one: don’t try to fix the problem. Identify the things you can change, then turn the problem into a source of new possibilities. By recognising that “it is what it is” you accept the situation at face value, without exaggerating it, overreacting and making the problem bigger than it actually is.
Rule two: focus on the possible outcome. The problem has nothing to give you, but the process of finding a solution can open many doors of possibilities.
Rule three: relish the challenge. Problems take us to a place we would never otherwise get to. They push us and challenge us and we grow with that experience. People are at their most creative and resourceful when faced with a crisis. Challenges force us out of our comfort zone and to test our ability to take the unexpected and turn it into something desirable, something of value.
Rule four: create a list with all the possible outcomes and the actions you could take. Choose one or more of the options and create an action plan to achieve it. Whatever the situation is, it is important to be able to move on and continue your journey, and not get stuck.
Set yourself a goal to become a solution-seeker. Problem-solvers want something to go away. Solution-seekers create something new. Problems are a signal that it is time for fresh thinking. It is not just a matter of resolving the immediate issue but using the problem to reassess the current way of dealing with things. They are a way of identifying new customer or staff needs, and a signal to innovate. Problems open doors you never knew existed.
Got a problem you need help with? Give us a call: Headspace Academics; fresh thinking. helping schools on the road to recovery.