When you are leading your team, you will come across days where things go wrong. People will make mistakes, things will get missed, and you will be tempted to get very, very, angry. However straight anger often accomplishes nothing, and can even slow you down, so here are some things you can do to avoid arriving at that heated moment.
- Start by assuming the problem was an accident. It is easy to think someone messed up and that’s the reason things are wrong. But often you’ll find that some bad situations are simply unavoidable–or it might even be something you did wrong in leadership. So do not blame anyone until you have the entire story.
- Wait on responding. When you learn of a disaster, or even just a snag, in the project’s progression give yourself 10 minutes at least before you respond. Take time to let that intial flood of emotion subside, then look at the problem with objective eyes. It is often amazing what a different perspective you will find.
- Finally, No Knee-jerk reactions . Responding out of panic can compound your problems. Take stock fully of a situation and even consider a brainstorming session before you start to solve problems that arise.
Follow these three guidelines and you will save you, your team, and your project, a world of anger related trouble.
