I couldn’t bring myself to admit it …

I was slowly sinking.  Every day the same cycle of sitting at my desk waiting in terror for the phone to ring (this was in the days before mobiles and email), knowing that I didn’t have good answers for the angry client, and then, with my team, fighting whatever fires were identified.  Yet, no matter how hard I tried, things weren’t getting better.  If anything, they were getting steadily worse. 

What’s more, I had no idea how to fix it.  Not only was I well outside my comfort zone, I was also beyond my ‘stretch’ zone to the point where I just couldn’t think clearly about what to do.  I was failing at one of the most significant points in my career, and it seemed that none of the experience or skills I’d acquired so far could help me.  Things had got so bad that even the drive to work filled me with dread, to the point I wanted to turn the car round and head home.

With the benefit of 30 years hindsight, it seems so obvious that I needed to ask for help, but at the time I just felt the pressure to sort it out on my own.  After all, I’d just been promoted to my first senior management role.  Sorting it out and finding a better way to work was my job, wasn’t it?  To admit that I couldn’t do it would be a sign of failure.

Ron to the Rescue

Fortunately, my boss and her boss (our MD) recognised that we couldn’t cope and offered help.  But what sort of help did I need?  All I could see was an extra pair of hands to help with the firefighting, when what I actually needed was help to stop the fires in the first place.

Luckily they could see that, and along came Ron.  Ron was one of those people that always seemed calm and controlled no matter what was happening.  He reminded me of the story of Jesus and the disciples in the boat in the storm, totally unbothered and confident that he could sort it out.

And, gradually, he did.  Or, at least, he helped me to sort it out.  Taught me a better way to manage both myself and the situation.  Getting it under control, organising my time more effectively, looking for the deeper causes and putting in place improvements that would make a real difference.  Sure enough, things started to improve and, a few months later, our performance had moved from worst to close to best.  Even better, far less of my time and my team’s was spent sorting out current issues and more preparing for the future. 

A pivotal moment

Looking back, this period was one of the most significant of my career, teaching me lessons that have served me consistently in the years since and still form the bedrock of my “high performance with ease”* work today.  Even more, it altered the trajectory of my career altogether, eventually leading to starting my own consulting business so I could help others the way Ron helped me.

Perhaps, more importantly, it taught me that admitting you don’t have everything you need isn’t a sign of weakness at all.  Being vulnerable is actually a sign of strength and courage. 

After all, can you really see the situation clearly when you’re stuck in the middle of it? 

Can I help you?

If you’re facing similar challenges, I’d love to help.  You can book a free, no obligation call using the button below.  No pressure, no sales pitch, just an open conversation and, hopefully, some helpful input.