Short Chick w/the Walking Stick: “Stick To It’’ / Strained Workplace Relationships

Some workplace relationships are simply to be endured. I was discussing how to persevere in relationships with a more experienced group this week. It was agreed that workplace relationships are the trickiest relationships of all – and this came from a group of mostly married people.

If the workplace relationship is an especially challenging one at our place of employment, how do we Stick To It – No Matter What?

The situation gets trickier still when one of the people in that challenging relationship hands the other person her or his paycheck. Those situations require a little more finesse. Today we’ll concentrate on strained coworker, peer to peer, relationships.

Stick To It when workplace relationships can’t be ignored.

Thankfully, most workplace relationships are not ones I’ve wanted to ignore. I was fortunate that in my 20-odd employee working years on the job, I was surrounded by a lot of really great people in the form of coworkers and managers. Many became close friends.

However, I experienced my share of workplace relationships that fell to the other extreme. Those are the ones that make office hours, and after-office hours, miserable.

The very relationships you want to desperately ignore are ones you decidedly can’t. Paying the mortgage depends on it.

Assuming you’ve tried everything to professionally and maturely work together, and the vibe is not there, and never will be, the best you can do is accept it for what it is. Know it will not change and work around that person as best you can.

Stick To It when direct communication within strained workplace relationships is challenging.

When you do have to work together or have direct communication, keep it brief, on task, professional, and walk away when the required business is done.

No need to linger, no need for small talk, no need to extend the pain any longer than is necessary for either of you. The other person wants to be done with you as quickly as you do with them. Let them. By all means, help them toward that mutual goal.

Don’t get distracted by their desire to draw you into a disagreement. Stick to the plan. Stick to the point of the conversation. And then be done with it.

Stick To It when a workplace relationship is otherwise non-productive.

Sticking to a workplace relationship may mean letting go of any non-productive part of it and concentrating only on the good that comes from it. If it’s a strained work relationship, focus on only that part of it necessary to get the job done.

I recall one or two specific workplace relationships where each of us nearly visibly bristled when approached by, or needed to approach, the other party. It wasn’t pretty.

The conversations were brief, to the point and devoid of niceties. Sometimes that’s the best that can be done. Our positions required infrequent but necessary interaction, equally loathed by each person.

There may be no good reason for the animosity. Some personalities don’t jibe and never will. It’s not necessarily a reflection on either party. It simply is what it is. Sticking to some kind of plan to get and give the required information for the job requires as much perseverance as any other effort.

In strained workplace relationships, make a plan to get the job done, and Stick To It – No Matter What.

Stick To It til next Thursday,

Kris Harty

Stickabilities Specialist and Perseverance Thought Leader

www.StrongSpiritUnlimited.com

P.S. Don’t get side-tracked by petty workplace relationship issues. Just git ‘er done.

Copyright Kris Harty 2011

Reprint Permission: Credit Kris Harty, The Short Chick With The Walking Stick, with the following paragraph:

“Reprinted from…” Kris Harty, The Short Chick With The Walking Stick, Thought Leader on Perseverance, Keynote Speaker, Workshop and Discussion Facilitator, and Author of the upcoming book ‘A SHOT IN THE ARM AND A STRONG SPIRIT: How Health Care Givers Help Patients Persevere.’ For more information on perseverance and a message of hope, visit Kris’ Web site: www.StrongSpiritUnlimited.com or contact her at StrongSpirit@StrongSpiritUnlimited.com. Don’t quit, keep persevering through strained workplace relationships and Stick To It – No Matter What!

The Short Chick with the Walking Stick: To Quit or to Stick

When I say I’m the Thought Leader on Perseverance, most people nod, smile and admit that they quit too easily. Most people go on to tell me that they need more perseverance because they invariably quit to soon at whatever is on their plates.

Perseverance. It’s a long word followed by a short attention span.

What do I mean by that?

Most people admit to me they’d rather quit something difficult and start up something easier, even if the something easier isn’t their passion.

We’ve become a nation of people who quit. Or have we?

We live in an Instant Gratification world. We live in an Instant Everything world. We’ve lost the art of persevering. It’s so much easier to quit.

We try another Web site when the one we want takes longer than three seconds to load. We tune out this month’s flavor-of-the-month project at work knowing it won’t last long. We enter in and out of relationships as soon as they get a little rocky.

I’m here to bring back perseverance. Some people are bringing sexy back. I’m bringing Stick-To-It back, and maybe that in itself is sexy.

Who doesn’t want someone who is in it for the long haul, personally or professionally?

We’re attracted to people who don’t quit. They’re sexy.

Athletes at the top of their game are sexy. As are Oscar-winning actors. And so are the biggest business names. Why? Because they’re not quitters.

If they’d quit their craft along the way, would we ever have heard of them? They kept at it and succeeded. Success is sexy. Success only happens for those who Stick To It – No Matter What!

So how do we keep going when we’d rather…not?

Follow the Stickability Steps to persevere when you’d rather quit.

Pick a project on your plate that you wish wasn’t, and see if my simple Stickability Steps help you Stick To It this week.

1. Stick To The Plan. Set your sights on the end product, know there will be bumps along the path, and plan to flexibility steer around them to reach the goal you want to see happen.

2. Stick Out Your Hand. Seek out someone who has traveled a similar path and ask for their tips. Find someone who is following your path and offer them a hand up.

3. Stick Together. Don’t think you’re the only one who has ever encountered the issues you’re facing. You have lots of company, and they’re usually willing and happy to let you know you’re not alone.

Persevere through any sticking points. Don’t quit.

Stick To It til next Thursday,

Kris Harty

Thought Leader on People Helping People Persevere

www.StrongSpiritUnlimited.com

P.S. Only quitters quit, so help bring perseverance back, back to the point where it’s sexy.

Copyright Kris Harty 2011

Reprint Permission: Credit Kris Harty, Short Chick With The Walking Stick, with the following paragraph:

“Reprinted from…” Kris Harty, Short Chick With The Walking Stick, Thought Leader on Perseverance, Speaker, Workshop and Discussion Facilitator, and Author of the upcoming release ‘A SHOT IN THE ARM AND A STRONG SPIRIT: How Health Care Givers Help Patients Persevere.’ For more information on perseverance and a message of hope, visit Kris’ Web site: www.StrongSpiritUnlimited.com or contact her at StrongSpirit@StrongSpiritUnlimited.com. Don’t quit, keep persevering and remember to Stick To It – No Matter What!

Sticking Points to Small Business Success

Sticking points may feel like barriers to small business success. In reality, persevering through them is the linchpin to success.

It’s only when we reach a sticking point in our small business plan that we’re forced to dig deeper. How can we creatively solve the problem? How badly do we want to succeed? How badly do we not want to fail?

Acknowledge sticking points as an ongoing event toward small business success

Unfortunately, sticking points are not a one-time occurrence in the running of a small business. Businesses are loaded with problems. When these problems first appear on the horizon, they often seem unsolvable. It takes time to find a solution.

And we all know there is never enough time when running a business.

On top of everything else we need to do in our daily operations, there is now this huge sticking point staring us in the face. What are we going to do about it?

Choose failure or small business success at each sticking point

If we choose not to let this sticking point derail our goals, we can persevere by pushing past the threshold we’re at and rise to the next level in our business. This guaranteed learning curve provides us our linchpin. We either choose to fold and fail, or we choose to stick to finding a solution and succeed.

Each sticking point betters our business, if we allow it.

Recognize sticking points as linchpins to small business success

How do we go about turning this linchpin to our small business’ favor?

1. Stick To The Plan. Determine that you will succeed, that there is a solution and that you will not fail. Remember your original plan for your business. Persist toward it, while remaining flexible in the path to get there, knowing sticking points merely reroute us for a bit.

2. Stick Out Your Hand. Reach out to those who are further along the small business journey to find out what they learned from their own similar linchpin. It may seem that you’re the only one who has ever encountered your sticking point – but surprise! – you have uncountable company.

3. Stick Together. Problems often cause us to want to isolate ourselves. We like to think and project ourselves as being in control at all times. Admitting we’re facing a sticking point feels like failure in itself. By not hiding it, we exponentially better our chances for success.

Persevere through your next sticking point. Use it as the linchpin it is to propel your small business success another step or two further up the entrepreneurial ladder.

Stick To It til next Thursday,

Kris Harty

Thought Leader on People Helping People Persevere

www.StrongSpiritUnlimited.com

Here’s to persevering toward small business success!

Can you please help me with LinkedIn!

Who is on LinkedIn in May 2010?

LinkedIn is growing every single day.  For me, it is one of the best sources of leads, sales, even website traffic with up to 40,000 unique visitors per month.  What is LinkedIn doing for you?

These are the last numbers from LinkedIn membership in May 2010.

·         LinkedIn has over 65 million members in over 200 countries.

·         A new member joins LinkedIn approximately every second, and about half of our members are outside the U.S.

·         Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members.

The last time I reported on LinkedIn members it had 45 million.  Wow, now it is up to 65 million members.

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Remember, linkedin.com is the only professional network on the internet with now close to 40 million executives, entrepreneurs and other high end members. If you want to start any type of social media or social networking marketing start with LinkedIn. You will find more pre-qualified leads and customers there.

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