[This is the fourth in our five-part, monthly series: Power Up Your Results: From Idea to Awesome. You can find all of the articles from this series in HUBi’s User Corner.]
You’ve defined your initiative, created a plan, and gathered your resources. You’re making good progress! But let’s be real: sometimes things don’t go exactly as planned. A task might take longer than you thought. Someone you needed help from is busy. A new problem pops up. These are called “roadblocks,” and they are a normal part of any initiative.
Don’t let a roadblock stop you! The most important thing is to deal with it calmly and find a solution.
How to Tackle Roadblocks:
- Spot it early: The sooner you notice a problem, the easier it usually is to fix. Pay attention to how your initiative is progressing.
- Understand the problem: What exactly is the roadblock? Why is it happening? For example, instead of just thinking “I’m stuck,” think “I’m stuck because I need a report from X, and they haven’t sent it yet.”
- Brainstorm solutions: Think of different ways you can get around the problem.
- For a missing report: Can you get the information elsewhere? Can you ask for an update? Can you work on another part of your initiative while you wait?
- For a task taking too long: Can you break it down further? Can someone else help with a part of it?
- Choose a solution and act: Pick the best way forward and take action. Don’t wait for the problem to solve itself.
- Let others know (if needed): If the roadblock affects others or your timeline, communicate clearly. “I’m running a little behind on Step 3 because of [reason], but I’m trying [solution] to get back on track. I’ll update you if the deadline needs to shift.”
Facing roadblocks and finding solutions makes you a stronger, more capable manager of your own work. It’s a key part of turning your ideas into awesome results!
“Try This!” Challenge:
Think about a time recently when you faced a small problem or delay with a task. How did you handle it? If you could go back, what’s one different solution you might have tried?
You can find the entire Power Up Your Results series in HUBI’s User Corner as each article is published.
