5 Steps to Get Through a Difficult Work Situation
By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
In today’s fast-paced workplace and tough economic environment, difficult situations are bound to arise. But whether you’ve been tasked with delivering unpleasant news or downsizing a team, as a leader, how you handle the situation influences its outcome significantly.
“I think the most important thing to remember is that it’s not just about you,” explained Hyune Hand, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Wolters Kluwer (WK) Corporate Legal Services. She continued, “There is a whole team behind you looking at you, relying on you, to make sure you get to the right outcome.”
As a leader, it’s your job to make sure you evaluate every situation thoughtfully for the good of your company. Here are five ways to ensure you handle any tough situation with poise and maintain the respect of your colleagues.
1. Train Yourself
First of all, Hand said, the composure factor is something you develop over time. She explained, “You have to train yourself, program yourself, to be calmer than you would normally be – this takes time, but quickly in your career you start to determine what’s really important.”
2. Understand Your Purpose
Next she said, understanding your ultimate purpose within the organization can help you get through difficult choices. “You really need to understand the purpose of why you exist in the context of the business – not just your business objective but also your fundamental purpose.”
“As a leader, I live and breathe small businesses – my purpose is to make that small business owner’s life easier and to provide stability,” she explained. Remembering that purpose can help transcend negative aspects of your day.
“You have to understand your value proposition,” she added.
3. Get Perspective
“For me, I would say an inflection point was learning to gain perspective, asking questions like ‘Can I control the situation,’” Hand continued.
She recalled a time in her career when she had the difficult responsibility to disband a team she had been tapped to lead. “It was a tough call. We had finite resources and dollars, and I was paid to make tough choices. Could I have controlled that on the front end? The turning point was getting the organization in the right place.”
While you may not have control over external circumstances, she continued, “One thing you can control is your own mind. You can control yourself and your emotions. You can control your process.” Gaining that perspective can help pave the way toward a smooth and effective outcome.
4. Maintain and Communicate the Clarity of Your Mission
Hand said that one key to gaining the support of a team when having made an unpopular decision ensuring they understand the reasoning behind it. While it may not be pleasant, having that clarity can ensure colleagues understand what they have to do and why they have to do it.
“My mission was to be sure the right people were deployed in the right places. When situations change this can be difficult for people – unless you have clarity there is going to be spinning,” she explained.
5. Don’t View Yourself as a Victim
Particularly for women, maintaining composure is important. Research, like McKinsey and Co.’s 2010 Women Matter report, has shown that women tend to be looked upon more negatively than men for revealing emotion on the job. But Hand said that women should not allow themselves to feel victimized. Measures toward equality exist for a reason, and taking advantage of them can help level the playing field.
“I think women should not feel that because they are women they should do things differently. It’s a mind shift – never feel like you are a victim. “
She continued, “We live in a really good world and have a mechanism of equality and support. I think we should look at the force of equality as an advantage and see it as an opportunity.”