We’ve all been there, be it a high risk situation at work that’s gotten worse, conversations or relationships taking a destructive turn in tone and attitude, or as in my case during the weekend, going from feeling good to not so well.
Which ever the situation, work, personal or your health we often know when things start taking a turn for the worse. In most cases there’s a lot that can be done to prevent it from actually happening. But it’s about catching it at the right time before it’s gone too far and the damage is already done. By then it will take a lot more to repair.
On Saturday I started to feel my lungs getting heavier, my energy disappearing and I was cold. I don’t normally get ill but when I do it’s quite often a bigger hit than just a slight cold. My lungs and throat, particularly the tonsils, are my soar spot and though no time is particularly good to fall ill, now is definitely a little bit on the worse side timing wise.
I was meant to do some work yesterday but decided to rest all day. Keeping at it when you feel unwell is only going to make matters worse so instead I had a relaxing day, lots of healthy food and tea as well as a good rest. Though I’m not feeling a 100% today I’m definitely feeling better and hopefully I’ve managed to keep it at bay.
Negativity and destructive patterns in the work place is a little like an illness. It’s contagious and before you know it it’s affected the whole team. When things are tough venting thoughts, feelings and frustrations is common. At first it can bring a team closer together, provide a means to bond, share and clear the air, but if allowed to continue it can easily turn into a negative spiral, bringing motivation and the general feeling in the team down. I’ve worked on a couple of projects where this has happened and where it combined with compromised situations have turned the whole project into something everyone would prefer not to be working on. That’s about the worst situation you can have on a project. Both for the team and the client.
Though there definitely needs to be room for sharing frustrations on a project the point and expectation should come very early on that all those conversations should be turned to focus on what can be done about it. Pointing out problems is pointless unless you do something about it and the longer it’s allowed to go on, the bigger the damage will be. It spreads and both time and energy is wasted on what’s not working rather than what can be done to make it work. Instead, just as with my lingering flu during the weekend, it’s about inserting a bit of positive energy and focus into where the problem is and try to break it apart until it no longer is a problem.
Tomorrow – Day 199 | Stories that make you warm on the inside
Image source: www.flickr.com/photos/jojoneil/635953659
