Management tips in challenging times:

Turn events to your advantage

Dr. K. Kuhathasan CEO Cenlead

Success comes to those who become success conscious. Failure comes to those who indifferently allow themselves to become failure conscious.

We may all have experienced and will experience from time to time, a fear, worry or a setback.

Challenges and struggles are part of work. Various issues are challenges that make your sense of achievement richer.

These setbacks, fears and worries are in most cases, demotivators and it makes sense to try and prevent ourselves from becoming demotivated. What causes you to be demotivated? Having clearly identified the cause, it is logical to do everything possible to gradually eliminate them.

If you are demotivated, or your attitude is in a rut, you will be unable to make the right decisions or exert influence over others.

We will start by examining some of the emotions which can be barriers to our success, then we will look at how to handle them positively and overcome them.

Whenever you are faced with those hurdles or barriers, setbacks or crises, say to yourself.

"How can I turn this to my advantage?" Just ask yourself that one question and it will switch your thought processes from negative to positive.

Problems or challenges

"I have a problem" is the most common phrase used by all of us, when we are faced with challenges.

Problem is a negative word. If you tell yourself you have a problem, you normally dwell on it and worry about it. Delete the word problem from your vocabulary and use the words "situation" or "challenge" instead.

Your brain will respond more effectively. It becomes creative and proactive and furthermore, you are on your way to overcoming the situation.

"I am worried about this matter" is another phrase that is commonly used by all of us.

What is a worry? A modern understanding of this word would describe it as a state of mind or allowing one's mind to dwell on difficulties or trouble.

Worrying really is the negative use of our brain's imagination. Worrying about what might happen in the future or dwelling on the possible ramifications of a situation that has already occurred is negative visualisation.

To be a well-rounded, well-adjusted and a well-balanced individual you must develop self-control and enthusiasm.

Remember, there is only one thing in this world that you hold total control over and that is your mind. You can master worry. You can whip worry by the positive power of enthusiasm.

Fear and worry

We are not born with fear. It is a cultivated mental disease that destroys us. Therefore, a sound mind is an integrated mind - a mind in one piece; a mind working harmoniously together.

When worry controls the mind it leads to loss of the power of the will, because the mind is divided and cannot act in one channel. The victim has quit struggling and yields to a depressed and passive manner. Worrying is injurious to the human body. It is injurious to social fellowship and business relations.

The most destructive fear

Fear of failure is a state of mind, nothing else! But it is sufficient to destroy one's chances of achievement in any undertaking.

This fear paralyses the faculty of reason, destroys the faculty of imagination, kills self-reliance, undermines enthusiasm, discourages initiative, leads to uncertainty of purpose, wipes out enthusiasm and makes self-control an impossibility.

It takes the charm from one's personality, destroys the possibility of accurate thinking, diverts concentration of effort. Turns the will - power into nothingness, destroys ambition.

Fight fear with faith. One person can infect and ruin otherwise amiable relationships. Fear hampers our ability to think and to reason effectively. Extreme fear can paralyse our capacity to act. Fear even increases pain.

It is known that 75 percent of pain that is felt while a person is tense will disappear when a person is totally relaxed. Don't try to flee from your fears; face them with a positive faith.

Faith

Faith is the belief that serves as an anchor to keep us firmly grounded. When we have firm faith in what we do, we will be very successful.

Faith is crucial for success. New windows of opportunities and possibilities will unfold when the power of faith comes into play. This power manifests itself when we are determined, sincere, humble and firmly believe in ourselves.

Faith and determination are inter-linked. The faith factor comes into play when we have the determination to pursue our mission with concrete action. There are numerous amazing happenings that defy logic and rationale.

These occurrences are inexplicable by any reasoning but they are there for us to see. There have been instances where patients, who were terminally ill and beyond cure, have shown phenomenal recover; some have even been cured fully and are leading normal lives. Sailors caught in storms at sea have survived for weeks floating on wooden planks without food and water.

Mountaineers have survived extreme cold, after been trapped in snow for weeks. Such miracles are beyond any reasoning, and happen when a person has unflinching faith and belief in himself and in what he does. It happens when we have the "never quit" attitude. Faith is the pathfinder in our moments of crisis. It rekindles our hope, and that keeps us going.

Never quit

Successful people never quit. They go on and on, persisting in their pursuit to realise their dreams. They may have met with failures, hundreds and thousands of them, but failures do not discourage them. With each failure, they emerge stronger with greater resolve to make their dreams come true. Don't quit.

Persist, keep going, press on and you will succeed in your endeavours. Success demands persistence, the ability and will to hang on a little longer.

The journey to success is never smooth. There will always be some bumps, blocks and problems that you will have to face and surmount. Remember that where there is challenge, there is a solution.

Put your creativity to work, seek help from others and you will surely discover a way. Opportunities are endless; you only need a keen eye to spot them. 'Opportunities are no where' can also be read us 'Opportunities are now here.'

Challenges and struggles are part of work. Various issues are the challenges that make your sense of achievement richer to make you humble and strong. Challenges test your resolve and commitment to goals. They confront you to test your values and principles. They provide the pause to recollect yourself and recommit to your goals.

Three of the greatest qualities you can have in your work are perseverance, optimism and courage. All winners have these virtues. Winners learn to hang in there under all circumstances.

You are a winner

Unlimited opportunities for success are everywhere! The sky is no longer the limit because man is penetrating space. There's opportunity and money everywhere.

Every where there are possibilities for striking it rich if you look for the opportunities and take advantage of them.

The pursuit of success demands mental agility. It demands flexibility. It demands capability to make an instant switch. It demands the qualities necessary from shifting easily from one climax to another.

Achievement is the end result of ideas-at-work. It is more than just saying, "Have I got a great idea!" It is putting that idea into action while others are sitting back crying the blues about the mediocre performance of life.

Putting an idea to work - no matter whose idea it is - is the beginning of success, it is achievement in the making.

You are a winner! You will be always a winner! Arise, awake and act!