Understanding Navigation and Where You’ll End Up
Understanding navigation may be more difficult than many workplace professionals quickly recognize. Yes, it is often about what we do and how we react and that defines how we navigate.
Just last week someone annoyed you in a meeting. Someone else didn’t complete a task, delayed the project, or simply decided not to show up.
This week there are schedule pressures. An update meeting with the boss and a report to complete.
There are countless opportunities to get annoyed in our workplace. Opportunities to see stress, feel stressed, and worry. Was anything different last month, last year, or at your old job?
Navigating The Same Stuff
Some things have probably changed but yet in reality you worried last year about stuff that just doesn’t matter this year.
You worried about sales being off, the budget not being balanced, or that a co-worker was trying to undermine your project.
You worried about what you said in the meeting, how you said it, and when the boss may have hinted (although you aren’t sure) that you aren’t measuring up.
None of those things matter this year. Although now you have an entire new set of somewhat similar challenges.
Are you navigating differently?
Understanding Navigation
Sure you may have grown. You attended the seminar, read a book, and listened to a few podcasts. You’ve chatted with colleagues, asked for feedback, and with some apprehension, listened to the critics.
Being stressed and worried doesn’t accomplish much. Feeling annoyed and getting irritated does not really serve a useful propose.
What happened last week or last month may have some impact but largely our career and the work that we do is about what is accomplished across decades of commitment and navigation.
Last week you weren’t a novice, an amateur, and now you’re an expert. It took you time, lessons learned, and navigation.
Don’t overestimate the impact of a single experience and don’t underestimate the value of the culmination of a decade.
-DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and culture expert. He is a five-time author and the founder of Appreciative Strategies, LLC. His business focuses on positive human performance improvement solutions through Appreciative Strategies®. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
