Many people who do well with overcoming obstacles in their personal lives have trouble when presented with obstacles at work. Somehow, it seems as though the rules are different in the office and that you are supposed to know all of the answers already. Unfortunately, there is often no one around to teach you what you don’t know. If you are regularly presented with large and small obstacles at work, here are some steps that will help you to overcome them.
First of all, identify the problem clearly. What exactly is this obstacle? What is it keeping you from accomplishing? Maybe it is a destructive coworker. Maybe it is a poor relationship with your boss. Maybe it is a policy that just rubs you the wrong way. Whatever the obstacle is, identify it clearly and specifically. This enables you to know exactly what the challenge is that you are dealing with. It also helps you to separate the obstacle from the rest of your work life so that it doesn’t feel as though the challenge is all-consuming.
Once you have identified the problem it is time to start thinking. Spend some time brainstorming possible solutions to your problem. Don’t be afraid to be creative here. When you are brainstorming, anything goes. If your problem is a coworker, maybe your ideas are to talk to your boss about her, avoid her, ask for your office space to be moved, ignore her, or actively try to get her fired. While these are all feasible options, some of them are obviously better choices than others. However, during the brainstorming phase you want to try not to limit yourself only to the “good” options. Sometimes an option that initially looks like a weaker one turns out to be the best course of action.
After you’ve brainstormed a list of possible options it is time to choose one or more to put into action and make a plan. As I said before, many of the options on your list will not be feasible or wise. However, you will almost certainly have several workable solutions to your problem. Take those solutions and come up with a concrete plan for improving the situation. Sometimes the simple act of making a plan helps the situation to seem less overwhelming because it helps you to feel more in control of what happens. However, you will also want to turn your plan into action so that you are actually taking steps to improve your work situation.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. In the office, many women feel as though they are supposed to go at it alone. However, don’t forget that your coworkers and supervisors are there to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask. It may be requesting an office change so that you are further away from a challenging coworker or exploring the reasons behind a seemingly senseless policy. No matter what your plan of action is, do not be afraid to involve someone else in helping you to overcome workplace obstacles.
