Putting Your Problems Into Perspective

Here's one short leadership coaching tip you can action immediately. Today's post takes about 2 minutes to read. It's also one of the most useful leadership skills to help members of your team.

Photo by Nadine Shaabana on Unsplash

The Tip

Do you ever get fixated on a problem?

You know, turning it over and over in your mind until you can't really do anything else. Or do you get overwhelmed when things are not going to plan?

Like when you are wishing that you could get everyone to just do what they are supposed to be doing.

STOP 🛑

Take a breath.

Now ask yourself:

What coverage will this get in the history books, if any?

And if that doesn't work for you, try:

Is this something I'll be remembering on my deathbed?

In my experience, 99 times out of 100, the answers are "none" and "no".

And once you have realised that, you can have a little smile and get on with your day thanks to your new found sense of perspective 😇

How it Works

If you are anything like me, you live in your head most of the time. Constantly churning over ideas, things that were said, things you want to say.

I'm so bad at this that my brain keeps me awake at night as it plays through scenarios. I don't recommend it for a good night's sleep 💤

And while we are living in our heads we can easily forget to be in the moment.

The beauty of this technique is that it reminds us that, in the long arc of our lives, each thought, each moment, each hour and each problem are tiny fragments.

Which is a brilliant short-cut to putting things into perspective.

If You Are Coaching Someone

This is one of the simplest coaching techniques to use. You don't need to be a coaching ninja 🥋 to try it.

All you need to do is to observe that someone is getting lost in a problem and then pose the question. Doing it with a sympathetic voice and smile usually helps.

But then you need to leave it there. Don't fill the silence if there is one. Don't argue back if they disagree. Don't be offended if they tell you to get lost.

Even if it doesn't work instantly, this question will work its magic all the same.