How do you respond when things are not going your way?
Do you sit down and pout? Do you pick up your toys and go home? Do you actively throw a fit?
I saw a bumper sticker the other day that read, #RESIST.
Combined with the other stickers on that car, it was clear what they were resisting. Since this blog is not about politics, I won’t include the rest.
This blog is about making work fun.
#RESIST
I’ve seen this same approach at work. We don’t get the promotion we were seeking. We are part of an interview team to select our new manager, but our preferred candidate is not the one who gets the job. New policies go into place that we don’t like. There is a rearrangement of office space and we are not happy with the changes.
(Side note: I used to say that if the biggest complaint my staff had on a given day was their office, I was doing pretty well as a boss.)
Some people deal with disappointments by resisting. They do everything they can to try to subvert the decision. They go around every day as if they had the hashtag #RESIST tattooed on their forehead.
The Borg said it best: Resistance is futile.
So, what should we do instead? Allow me to suggest an alternate hashtag.
#PERSIST
Don’t like your new boss? Ask yourself, how long did the old one last? I don’t know about you, but in my career, I have outlasted a lot of bosses.
Don’t like a new policy? Why not? Is it just because it’s different? Or is it really going to be an issue for you?
Do you have a better idea? Perhaps you can suggest an alternative. Politely. Through proper channels. Start by understanding the reason for the change.
Work environments, like much in life, are often like a pendulum swinging. In order to fix something that isn’t working, it is sometimes necessary to swing the pendulum to the other side for a while. Eventually, it will come back again.
Ever tried a crash diet? Yeah. Like that.
I have yet to find a workplace that is a democracy. Good leaders do want to hear from the staff and create a good work environment. But most things are not decided by a vote. Input, yes. Vote, no. Get over it.
You do have a choice. Sure, you can sit down and pout. You can silently refuse to do your job, or decide you’re going to do it half-assed as a means of protest. I guarantee you, the only one who will feel the pain from that is YOU. If you choose this path, get your resume ready. You’ll need it.
Of course, getting your resume together is another option. If you really can’t stand the current situation, you do have the option to seek something else somewhere else.
(Side note: You should ALWAYS have your resume ready. Not just for the unexpected bad turn of events, but also for the unexpected once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that might present itself.)
Persistence isn’t about “sit down, shut up and put up”. It is about looking out for yourself in a positive way. Sometimes that does involve putting up with a situation you do not like. More often it means finding a way to adapt, either by making a change to yourself, your attitude, or the situation.
Persistence is about staying power.
In sports, it is doing the extra reps even when you are exhausted. As a software engineer, it was writing those extra lines of code before breaking for lunch. As a manager, it was communicating changes to my staff with a positive outlook even when I, personally, did not agree.
And some days, it is about simply making it through another day.
If you are feeling the urge to #RESIST, turn that energy around and apply it in a positive direction.
Resistance is futile. Persistence is rewarding.
#PERSIST