Three steps to successful outcomes.
Have you ever gotten upset and said something that made the situation worse? Most of us have ‘reacted’ at some time in our conversations. A wise person once taught me these 3 simple steps. If executed in the right order, they can make a huge difference in your outcomes.
Step 1: Feel
Feelings are just feelings. They are not right or wrong. They alert us to something going on inside of us. Take time to feel them before moving onto the next step. Generally, it is best not to respond or make final decisions based solely on emotions.
Step 2: Think
This step is easy to skip. Take some time and think about how to respond to the feelings. There’s lots of options when you think about the outcome of your actions. It is the response to the feelings that can be right or wrong. Hurrying this step or going straight to reaction mode usually ends with a negative outcome.
Look at the situation from all angles. Walk around it in your mind and think about your different options and how the recipients of your decision might respond. Take into account the different temperaments of the people who will be affected by your decision. How can you present it so it will make sense to them? Will your decision get you the desired results?
Step 3: Act
Once you have thought through the possible outcomes, consequences and benefits of your decision, you are ready to take action. Be prepared to accept the emotional response of your decision. Using the terms of Susan Scott, your action can leave an ‘afterglow’, an ‘after taste’, or an ‘aftermath’. Just because you get some initial push-back or negative response does not mean you made the wrong decision. It takes some people longer to accept change and get on-board. You have to be willing to go through the adjustment period which is often uncomfortable, before things become accepted as routine.
Once I learned to take time to think before acting, I had less ‘aftermath’ with my decisions. I can clearly state my issue, why I made my decision, my intended outcome, and my long-term goal which gives people a path to follow. Learning to think through a process in this order is key to my success.
