Life often brings to us a hostile environment which resists our very efforts to get better and achieve more at whatever we want to do. If you start a small business selling confectionary on your porch, you won’t get much attention and would probably have a few customers who are ready to patronise you and contribute to the little sales you have been making. But dare to enlarge that business and begin a major distribution of confectionary, breaking the bulk for small retailers; adversity will instantly arise against you. Resistance that wishes to make you remain small at what you do. So if we want to grow and do exceptionally well, the first thing we must learn to do is overcome adversity. If you are in a crisis, see it as it is. Never pretend that positive affirmations and refusal to acknowledge the presence of a problem will make it go away. It won’t. Brendan Francis teaches us that “the best way to escape from a problem is to solve it.” Mark my words, a problem will not go away if we refuse to give it attention. If you are stuck on the same level for longer than necessary, its time to move up and it’s a crisis of sorts which you should face squarely.
Get to the real truth of the situation. As human beings we have unlimited potential for change, growth and expansion. So if you find out that there are limits placed on your profession or that new inventions are threatening to make you irrelevant or redundant, you have to push hard to retool, acquire new skills and make sure that you are productive again. Times are changing and new skills and technology are fast being introduced to the workplace. Artificial intelligence and robotics are changing the scheme of things. We have to consistently be on our toes to ensure that we fit into the changes, or else we will be left behind.
Another basic step we can take is to seek out a role model. Surely there is someone you can warm up to that has achieved what you are seeking to achieve?
Every one of us must have a vivid vision of our future. The Good Book says, “without vision, the people perish.” We all have to have something that we are moving towards, or else life has no meaning. Setting fresh goals each time we achieve ones we have in sight, is part of a practical process that helps us focus on success in life.
Another basic step we can take is to seek out a role model. Surely there is someone you can warm up to that has achieved what you are seeking to achieve. Understudy the person. As a matter of urgency, you need a strategy that will take you from where you are to where you want to be. That person will reveal that strategy to you either through direct contact or by his books, speeches and general actions which you can study. There is always a way through. Never rest on your oars of progress, keep pushing. One success leads to another. So, basic to your mind should be: What can I do to enlarge this process? Make it bigger better and brighter? Once you ask yourself the right questions, strategies and options begin to emerge. You need to know which will suit you better. Remember that one or two people would have taken this course before you. What can you learn from their experience? Take for example, you wish to enlarge your supermarket discount business. You must begin to ask yourself who has done it before? What were their methods? Sam Wharton, founder of Walmart Supermarkets, used to go out of his way to check on those that started before him, to try and find out what specifics they employed to succeed at the business. He would visit different department stores and steal their ideas. If you are interested in the stock market of your country, there must be one or two people who have made a fortune via the stock market. How did they do it? What was their basic strategy? There have to be some guidelines you can adopt and implement. Once you have your sector, strategy and role model in mind. Don’t hold back! Give it your best shot. Work hard at it and make sure you leave nothing to question.
Working at whatever position you find yourself can be tough work in economic down turns and pandemic situations, but if you can learn to give your very best and a little more to each client or task that you handle, you will stand out. Cover all the areas expected of you and go beyond them to give colleagues and clients a little extra. Having an incredible work ethic works wonders. Make sure that wherever you are contributing your quota, you are known for certain key characteristics that will stand you out when people in authority are into decision making. Have an incredible work ethic that will attract people to you and ensure that you have a great work reputation.
Oftentimes you may find you have to motivate yourself. You need this when work is demanding and tough and there is no one to encourage you.
Oftentimes you may find you have to motivate yourself. You need this when work is demanding and tough and there is no one to encourage you. Ask yourself certain questions: What has been one of the toughest times in your life that you got through? What did you have to do to get through it? Everyone has been through at least one major crisis in life. Most times the crisis comes with the environment you live in or work in. There must have been some specific steps you took beyond breaking down and lamenting and asking yourself those usual emotional based questions: Why me? Am I the only one on this planet? Those are usually tough times. So what pulled you through the situation? And most importantly, what did you learn in the process? What changed? Did you meet someone important, learn something new and useful? What was your life like before the crisis you faced? What is it like after? Usually it should be much better. What specific steps or paths did you take to get out of the mess and are you on a higher plain now?
The adversity in the work or social environment can take us to one of two ways: Its either we get better or we get worse. As human beings with skill and enormous potential we have to try and make any hostile environment our lever for upward movement. That is the best direction to go.
*Ogundadegbe is a renowned management consultant. He trains managers and executives in the arts of Customer Service, Human Resources Management and Management strategy ([email protected]).
