Stop Being Suprised
You can be shocked and upset. Over and over.
OR
You can see a pattern, and choose a response.
A guaranteed way to lose your calm and focus?
Get outraged each time someone does the THING.
You know the one:
😡 The staff member who keeps missing deadlines
😡 The colleague or board member who’s routinely disrespectful
😡 The Emperor who has no clothes
When I hear myself saying “I can’t believe they did that again!!” I know it’s time to believe it. This IS the thing they do. The pattern is real. So the question becomes: What will I do?
👉 If I stay in disbelief and self-righteousness, I’ll keep sacrificing time, energy and emotional bandwidth.
👉 If I acknowledge the pattern, I can reclaim my power and choose my response.
One client decided: “I’m going to stop being surprised and stepping in when my employee misses deadlines. She’ll have to deal with the consequences of not meeting her goals.”
Another said: “I’m going to stop being surprised by this City Council’s biases and focus my message where I can influence opinions.”
What’s the pattern that keeps “surprising” you at work?
If you fully accepted that it will keep happening, what might you choose to do differently?
A Leader's Testimonial:
“Working together has meaningfully strengthened my leadership both personally and professionally..”
–Alle Schene, CEO, YWCA Bellingham