With the pandemic resulting in stay-at-home orders going on two months in some states, many business leaders are anxious to get back to the workplace. As each day passes, business leaders are trying to be patient.
While we can all be patient at times, the amount of patience is rooted in your human wiring. Your wiring operates underneath the surface and it can be your greatest asset or your biggest inhibitor if not managed. Your wiring is often the underlying reason for your actions.
Keeping your cool is easier said the done these days particularly if you are naturally wired with a low amount of patience. The thing that a low-patience business professional wants most is action: And, now. Standing still is not an option for people wired in this way. Their mantra is often, “there’s too much to be done, and it should have been done by now.”
Individuals wired with low patience are also intolerant of delays, because, in their head, the clock is always ticking. They typically create pressure on themselves and others to make things happen, like creating groups to put pressure on governmental officials to develop plans to reopen businesses.
So how does someone wired with a low amount of patience manage their human wiring while navigating this unprecedented change? Here are five ideas:
Create Variety.
If you are wired with low patience, you become restless with repetitive, routine activities or work which involves staying in one confined place. Change up your day by completing unfinished projects. Let’s face it, since you like variety and are impatient for instant results you have a tendency to open up many projects at once. Use this time to complete one of the many unfinished business projects.
Set Realistic Timelines.
The pandemic has paused many projects. With your low patience, you have a tendency to become intolerant with delays and want to get on with the next thing. You build up tension and need to release it through action. But if you don’t have a clear plan, you could be putting a lot of action in many places but not producing any results. When you feel that tension rising, take action by re-evaluating your plan first and setting realistic timelines.
Ask.
Simply asking a customer when they need something helps you to manage priorities. Your customers may not need something as quickly as you think they do. By mutually agreeing to a timeframe, you’re managing expectations and your impulse to get everything done immediately.
Pay attention to your physical well-being.
If you are hungry, dehydrated or fatigued, your natural wiring will become amplified and difficult to manage. Taking care of your physical basic needs are essential in managing human wiring. Find alternative things that would add value to other domains of your life, like taking a walk to forward your health goals. You need variety and if the pandemic has shifted it, you may need an outlet to create variety and address your well being.
Remember that applying pressure is not one size fits all.
Remind yourself that impatience doesn’t get others to move faster. In fact, if the other person is higher in patience, putting pressure on them impedes their ability to perform and you’re contributing to added stress. If someone doesn’t move as fast as you do, it may be because they are wired opposite of you. More pressure actually creates an inability to get things done. Instead, back off, set expectations and timelines, and determine an agreed-upon update each week. You’ll be surprised at how well they perform when you’re not asking for updates every minute.
Denying your hardwiring for long periods of time actually de-energizes you. Creating awareness of your natural wiring is critical to staying motivated and creating more peace of mind during uncertain times.
To learn more about your innate wiring, check out Me, Myself, and Why? The Secrets to Navigating Change or register you and your team for Wired to Win 101 on Saturday, June 20, 2020. For full immersion into understanding your human wiring (and how to spot it in others), join us for Wired to Win! Your Path to Passion, Purpose and Profit on Friday-Saturday, August 21-22, 2020.
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