A Risky Strategy
Because of your training and ongoing work in such a challenging industry, you are really good at coping with high stress situations. You’ve worked harder and harder. You’ve deferred other things in your life that are important hoping that things will eventually settle down. You’ve gotten on committees, taken leadership courses, made plans, worked to influence and improve things, but nothing’s changed significantly.
In fact, some things like your health, productivity, and peace of mind are getting worse.
The myth is that if you’re coping, you’re doing OK! But coping with a problem is not the same as solving it.
The thing about coping is that it’s like the Boiled Frog Syndrome: a frog dropped into a pot of boiling water saves it’s hide by immediately jumping out of the water, but a frog that’s heated up along with the water acclimates to the rising temperature and ends up boiled alive!
That’s why coping is such a risky strategy. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you’ve coped with this state of affairs for so long that the evil you know is better than the uncertainty you don’t know. Or you may tell yourself “soon, I’m going to get into action.” Remember, you are REALLY good at coping, but how long are you going to wait?
Think back over the last month. How many times can you list when you were in a crisis, feeling really hassled, or some really uncomfortable situation threw you?
How many times have you asked yourself, “Why do I stay in this job?” If you can name five or more times, that’s more than once a week. And assuming that each situation isn’t resolved in less than two days, that means you’re spending close to half your time in a crisis, feeling hassled and harried, or in discomfort.
What effect do you think that’s having on your family, your career, and your ability to really make the impact you want?
Are you being slowly boiled to death?
If yes, why not start by signing up now for Healthcare-Heart Remedy, my monthly eMemo that brings you short articles with insights on leadership and change management issues, tips, humor, and parables to lighten the Spirit. When you do so, you’ll receive FREE, the report “How To Get Your Team Members To Hang Their Underwear On The Laundry Line.”
Or… browse the Articles and Resources for Executive Leadership Development section.
If you have some questions you’d really like answered, contact me for a free 30-minute “Health Leader’s Diagnostic Consultation.” No obligation, no commitment. Just 30 minutes of your time where you will come away with some insights into why things aren’t working, and some concrete steps on how to move forward.