Six Sigma black belt-designated professionals. Certified scrum masters. The professional workplace today is filled with all types of strategies and strategists focused on making businesses grow and guiding us in that success. Yet, despite all the guardrails, there is still one issue-we are human. As a result, we can and will make mistakes. And these mistakes can often cost the business.
Lisa Nirell, chief energy officer of EnergizeGrowth, says that instead of looking at mistakes as a major setback, we should look at how we are going to react to these mistakes. By practicing resilience, we open the door to learning from these programs, developing even better skills and services and living a more balanced life as a result.
In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share Nirell’s five key strategies for professional resilience.
Unpack Your Inner Critic. Nirell says that our inner critic has only one purpose: to foster fear and self-doubt. Inner critics are loudest when we are about to face a breakthrough or are in crisis. They borrow the lyrics from The Rolling Stones’ song “Beast of Burden” by asking: “Am I hard enough? Am I rough enough? Am I rich enough?” They may also appear in the form of phone addiction, procrastination, self-medication and lethargy. The first step in building resilience is to understand when your inner critic is triggered. Is it during a high-stress situation? Is it when you are overloaded with responsibility? Stepping back and understanding these triggers will help you to control your behavior.
Act Fast When Problems Arise. In cultures that drive innovation and collaboration, mistakes will happen. The key in these situations is to act quickly once the mistake takes place. Nirell shares the example of an organization that sent out the wrong emails to a set of customers. The CEO responded immediately by sending a personalized apology email. While some people were understandably upset, the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Reframe. Instead of reverting to “fight or flight” behaviors, Nirell suggests searching for the positive consequences of the setback. Two questions she recommends asking: What gift does this situation offer? And what lesson can I take from this?
Study Stoicism. Roman playwright, statesman and adviser Seneca the Younger formulated stoicism as a strategy to thrive in high-stress environments back in 300 BC. He faced death, critical political negotiations, and other big challenges.
Today, stoicism is used widely by CEOs, professional athletes and cultural creatives as a way of recognizing what they can (and cannot) truly control and how to stay strong when faced with difficult situations.
Diversify Your Identities. Nirell warns not to let your job or career be your entire identity. Push your focus on outside interests. What gives you joy outside of work? She says the most effective leaders enjoy a diversified “identity portfolio.”
Take Stock Of Your Community. Motivational guru Jim Rohn once said: “We are the average of the five people with whom we spend the most time.” Nirrel says that when comparing achievements of dedicated peer group members to the lone wolf, individualistic CMOs, she has seen that the differences can be significant: Those members who are willing to be vulnerable and serve the community are rewarded with a rich set of resources and education. These connections can open doors.
Source: Lisa Nirell is chief energy officer of EnergizeGrowth, where she helps CEOs and CMOs accelerate growth and marketing innovation. She is also the founder of the Marketing Leaders of DC and Atlanta, and the award-winning author of The Mindful Marketer.
