How To Make Your Current Disappointing Reality A Success

*I don’t have anywhere near the resources I did in my last company
 
*My executive supporters have all left and now I am on my own
 
*The acquisition has minimized the scope of my role
 
*The person I hired isn’t turning out to be as promised
 
*The complexity of my new role is enormous compared to what I was told
 
*I could feature my current boss in a weekly Dilbert cartoon and still not cover everything they do wrong.
 
Sound familiar?
 
These are just a few of the common themes I have heard from executives in the last couple of months.
 
It is easy to feel the weight of disappointment and many executives get stuck in the corporate equivalent of quick sand. Flailing your arms and legs will actually exacerbate your situation and you will sink faster. Same applies in corporate life, don’t run around in angst about your terrible situation instead follow these three simple steps:
 
1) Face your current reality: talk with someone you trust, outline exactly what is reality and what you are exaggerating in your head.

2) Map out your options: I often ask executives - are you ready to quit? - that frames an option that we all can choose, to simply walk away. If that is not an immediate option, you know you have to work to find a solution.

3) Confront the issue head on: talk to your boss, your board, or where ever the issue lies. Explain what you see and how you want to resolve it, often the solution is far closer and far easier than you think.

Remember, flailing your arms, won’t just cause you to sink deeper in the quicksand, it will pull down your team and everyone else around you.
 
Want to share your current disappointing reality? - I will have a text AMA ask me anything on this topic until Friday April 5, 5pm PT. Text me your situation and Ask Me Anything! 626 406 2474.

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Why You Need To Know You Are Doing That Perfectly

“Yes that is exactly how you need to be doing that” - Is a phrase executives rarely hear. 

Board advisors, peers, industry gurus, and even innovation experts like me are full of advice for executives. 

But sometimes you just need to hear:

“Yes you have got this.”

“That is exactly right. “

“Yes, spot on. “

With a misplaced desire to be helpful, you can actually overwhelm.  

I was at the Million Dollar Consulting Hall of Fame event with my mentor Alan Weiss last week, it occurred to me while I was talking about my business with 15 of the most successful consultants from around the world that we all need a frequent injection of confidence, reassurance, inspiration, support and praise —consultants just like executives cannot do this solo, it is too lonely.

Where do you get your crisp injection? (Sorry I couldn’t help that--I just saw there was an acronym and crisps are my favorite British treat, salt and vinegar if you really want to know…!)

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/

Why We Have To Teach Others How To Fail

I am shocked that wealthy parents used their money to protect their kids from experiencing failure in the shocking college application scam revealed this week. It can be no different in corporate or entrepreneurial life.
 
What we teach our daughters is what every leader needs to teach their teams:

• You won’t always win.

• You won’t always get what you want.

• The door you want to open won’t always open exactly when you want it to.

I remember being absolutely gutted that Cadbury didn’t hire me on their management training scheme, but I went on to join House of Fraser’s management training scheme and led a large team aged 21.

I was mortified when consulting firm Arthur Anderson wouldn’t hire me because I had a part time degree and didn’t attend university full time, but I then joined Marconi and got to travel to Milan, Munich, and Dublin on the corporate jet as part of my global role.

I was heartbroken that we reduced the scope outsourcing deal between Marconi and CEC at the 11th hour so that my department was no longer part of the transfer, but then I joined Xbox which led to them relocating me to Seattle and I got to be part of the team that created the Guinness book of record winning Kinect Camera.

I work with extremely successful executives who have experienced not getting their perfect job first time, who occasionally get fired, or who have screwed up a product launch, and I tell them each the same thing: you will learn more from your mistakes than you will your successes.

When one door doesn’t open it can be surprising what comes next. If we can’t teach others how to survive disappointment, how will they survive without us cushioning every fall when we move onto our next opportunity?

It is not just kids who need to toughen up, help your teams today get a thicker skin, without second guessing and protecting every possible mistake or inadequacy.

Dedicated to growing your business,

Val

P.S. I hope you enjoyed this week's VAL-uable Insights, sign up here to get them in your inbox each Monday morning: http://valwrightconsulting.com/newsletter-sign-up/