You don’t want them in your veins or your workplace, but sooner or later we all run into them – blockages.
Maybe it’s the colleague who never gets to your project, or a supervisor who takes forever to sign off on your initiatives.
Whatever the source, you’re left cooling your heels, feeling frustrated and unproductive. Fortunately, the medical world knows how to treat blockages, and you can adapt their methods. Let these be a starting place for your own “workplace surgery.”
Drugs – Doctors use cholesterol-lowering drugs to reduce artery buildup. Truth can be the best medicine for you. Have direct and respectful conversations with colleagues about your workflow problems.
Beta-Blockers – Just as physicians strive to reduce patients’ blood pressure, you can try to cut co-workers’ stress levels. Consult with colleagues and adjust workloads to improve project flow.
Angioplasty – Sometimes doctors have to use physical intervention, and, when getting your work done requires more than conversations and agreements, you might have to do the same. Try establishing a protocol for high priority items that will let you cut right through potential roadblocks.
By-Pass – Surgery can be the answer when arteries are severely blocked, and it works in the office, too. When supervisors and colleagues don’t move your items along, no matter how much help you offer or how many times you stamp a memo “High Priority,” you’ll have to develop work-arounds – by-passes – to meet your obligations in a timely manner. Do not confuse this with “backstabbing,” which also uses knives but hardly in a surgical manner. Be straightforward, and present your actions as accommodations to a challenging reality.
Of course, this information is for background purposes only, and can’t replace a medical professional. For a workplace diagnosis, you should consult your own head and heart. Or share your stories here…
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About Danielle: Danielle Dresden is one of the co-authors of this blog (http://www.danielledresden.com). |
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