Ask the question — how am I adding to the problem?
Throughout your professional journey, you will often find yourself waiting on others. You might wait for someone to act, change, or even stop doing something.
I kept pinging someone for an update but never heard back. I asked my team to innovate, but there was no enthusiasm. I requested a task update but saw no progress. I needed someone to investigate something, but they kept deprioritizing my request. A peer team kept asking me for details, even though I provided everything. Top-down requirements demanded actions irrelevant to my area. I explained my thoughts to my team, but they returned with the same questions. And the cycle continued.
Is this frustrating? We keep churning, waiting for things to change.
Maybe it is time to be the change. Could you ask the question: How Am I Adding to the Problem? What have I done so far? What have I not done? What could I have done differently to change the situation?
Let’s start by looking in the mirror.
Maybe my question was unclear. Maybe I asked the wrong question or to the wrong person. Maybe I did not provide enough clarity about the outcome. Perhaps I did not address the challenges of getting started. Maybe I was unclear on rewards and recognition. Perhaps I did not show the importance, or urgency. Maybe I assumed who should answer the question and how and when. Perhaps I did not demonstrate to my leadership what they needed to feel confident about my deliverables, so they kept asking for more work. Maybe I was not making my thoughts easy to understand. Perhaps what I presented was not the problem the other person wanted to address. Maybe they expected me to solve something different. Perhaps I did not provide guidance or examples of what I needed. Maybe the success criteria were unclear.
There could be so many possibilities. When I step back and look in the mirror, asking, “How am I adding to the problem?” I see all these possibilities.
Now I can do something about it. Self-reflection is the first step to improvement. I encourage you to ask yourself the same question. Reflect on your actions.
By asking, “How am I adding to the problem?” and taking steps to address it, I become part of the solution. You can do the same. Reflect on your actions. Make positive changes. Lead by example. Your efforts will make a big difference.
Till next time, Cheers,
Amit
