Handling Setbacks

17th March 2011

Wouldn’t it be nice if everything always went according to plan? All your meetings go ahead as arranged, the sales hit target, the money comes in when you expect it to, and your staff are always healthy and working as you expect them to. Sadly, however, life generally is not like that, and from time to time problems occur, staff step out of line, cash flow issues arise, all your I.T. crashes or possibly an even more serious crisis occurs, like a fire. Furthermore what often seems to happen is that once one thing goes wrong, others quickly follow, and before long you can find yourself in a self-pitying state, wondering why the world is always against you. So it is not necessarily the issue itself which defines how you go forward from there, but how you deal with it.

Think of your own situation. If a series of things go against you, do you wallow in your bad luck, or do you put it behind you and look for the best way to recover the situation and forge ahead? Part of your ability to turn things around should come from good planning (ultimately from good time management).

If you keep an eye on cash flow, and have back up plans, if you have systems in place which allow others to cover for staff absences, if you have your I.T. backed up off site, etc etc, you can quickly get things sorted out, and back on track. However, the key to bouncing back must come from within, because without your own will to win and desire to reach your goals, if your heart isn’t in it, ultimately the business will never prosper.

Have you ever noticed how people with “bad luck”, always seem to get more “bad luck”, and those who are “lucky” always seem to get more “good luck”. Of course it is never really like this, everyone gets their equal share of whatever “luck” is available. However, with the right attitude and a determination to succeed, the “lucky” ones will overcome setbacks quickly, and soon find themselves back on course.

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One response to “Handling Setbacks”

1. Gareth Jones says:

   March 17, 2011 at 12:18 pm

   Funny how the harder you work the luckier you get. Also they reckon that “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
   Nice article Chris.