A great guest blog post from my friend and colleague, Lisa Aldisert,- (contact info at bottom of post)–
Excellent advice for all of us!
I know that letting go to get control sounds counter-intuitive. Those of us who like to
feel that we're in control don't even want to think about letting go. Many people would
think that such an idea is crazy at best.
Although Ihave dispensed this advice to clients over the years, it's funny how you forget
about it when you need a dose of your own medicine.
My friend,Linda, offered this counsel to me recently. After I told her that she didn't
understand my circumstances, I reflected. She was absolutely right. It was
great advice and completely applicable to my situation.
And I promptly forgot about it.
Fastforward to a couple of weeks later. In a state of frustration, I relinquished
control. In less than 24 hours, the three or four challenges associated with my situation
were resolved. It was almost as if they had never existed.
Reaching an impasse and the frustration that comes with it happens to everyone from time to time, whether you're a control-freak or not. This isn't easy to self-diagnose,
but here are some of the symptoms:
- Obsessing
over a challenge and not making progress - Trying
to make something work when, (not so) deep down, you know it won't work - Inability
to think about the challenge from fresh eyes - Sleep
deprivation - Overall
stubbornness
Any one ofthese factors can take you off your A-game. Even worse, a combination of these factors can derail you.
Stop trying to control the situation, and what follows may surprise you.
Lisa Aldisert is the president of Pharos Alliance, Inc., a management consulting
firm that works with organizations in the areas of strategy, business
development, and organizational/leadership development. Give us a call at
212-332-3242 to see how we can help you create strategies that make sense for
your organization, and result in increased revenue and profitability