Sifrino3
Dedicated LVC Member
In today's fast-paced work environment where everything seems urgent – if not a crisis - it's easy to get caught up in an issue simply because everyone else is so worked up about it. But according to Dr. Richard Carlson, author of a series of bestselling books on success, one of the keys to a satisfying and productive career - and life - is to choose your battles wisely.
Carlson observes that life is filled with opportunities to choose between making a big deal out of something or simply letting go and moving forward. When you argue over every confrontation, you will be perceived as a troublemaker, but if you challenge only those issues that are truly important to you, your opinions and disagreement will bear more weight and people will listen.
"One of the major contributing factors to self-created stress is the tendency that most of us have to hold on to battles that we have virtually no chance of winning," Carlson writes in his bestselling book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work. He adds that even if you win the wrong battle, you lose, because you've expended energy and effort that could have been put to better use.
How can you tell which battles are worth fighting? Here are some guidelines:
When not to fight:
- You are trying to change people who have no interest in changing.
- The outcome won't be materially different whether you win or lose.
- The matter really isn't all that relevant or important to you.
- You are not fully informed about the issue or fully convinced that your position is correct.
- You have no chance of winning.
- You have other priorities that are far more pressing.
- You're just feeling surly or want to show others you're not a wimp.
When it's OK to fight:
- Your ideas are being diminished.
- Your reputation is being sullied.
- It's for the betterment of the organization.
- You're standing up against action that is cruel or illegal.
- Something legitimate or terribly important is at stake.
- The issue involves integrity.
- The issue involves a significant amount of money.
"There are times that embracing confrontation is good," says David D'Alessandro, CEO of John Hancock Financial Services. "Don't be mean to people just because you're mean or you're unhappy. Pick a fight when you believe you are absolutely right and the stakes are worth it. Even if you lose, you'll be respected for having picked the fight."
Successful people have an uncanny ability to know when to advance and when to retreat. It comes from having a mindset that is oriented toward making things work, not wasting time figuring out why things went wrong. Successful people are realistic, seek responsibility, tolerate ambiguity and are willing to make decisions and take action. They expect to win. And one of the best ways to win is to choose your battles!
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Custom...4481d64cba45ce89af847e08574ecc-159632553-re-1
Carlson observes that life is filled with opportunities to choose between making a big deal out of something or simply letting go and moving forward. When you argue over every confrontation, you will be perceived as a troublemaker, but if you challenge only those issues that are truly important to you, your opinions and disagreement will bear more weight and people will listen.
"One of the major contributing factors to self-created stress is the tendency that most of us have to hold on to battles that we have virtually no chance of winning," Carlson writes in his bestselling book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work. He adds that even if you win the wrong battle, you lose, because you've expended energy and effort that could have been put to better use.
How can you tell which battles are worth fighting? Here are some guidelines:
When not to fight:
- You are trying to change people who have no interest in changing.
- The outcome won't be materially different whether you win or lose.
- The matter really isn't all that relevant or important to you.
- You are not fully informed about the issue or fully convinced that your position is correct.
- You have no chance of winning.
- You have other priorities that are far more pressing.
- You're just feeling surly or want to show others you're not a wimp.
When it's OK to fight:
- Your ideas are being diminished.
- Your reputation is being sullied.
- It's for the betterment of the organization.
- You're standing up against action that is cruel or illegal.
- Something legitimate or terribly important is at stake.
- The issue involves integrity.
- The issue involves a significant amount of money.
"There are times that embracing confrontation is good," says David D'Alessandro, CEO of John Hancock Financial Services. "Don't be mean to people just because you're mean or you're unhappy. Pick a fight when you believe you are absolutely right and the stakes are worth it. Even if you lose, you'll be respected for having picked the fight."
Successful people have an uncanny ability to know when to advance and when to retreat. It comes from having a mindset that is oriented toward making things work, not wasting time figuring out why things went wrong. Successful people are realistic, seek responsibility, tolerate ambiguity and are willing to make decisions and take action. They expect to win. And one of the best ways to win is to choose your battles!
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Custom...4481d64cba45ce89af847e08574ecc-159632553-re-1
