What are you tolerating in your work place?

It could be that someone on your team doesn’t listen and delivers sloppy work.

Maybe it’s a colleague who resists change even if it is a change for the “better.”

Or, that the entire company culture accepts a sub-par work-ethic.

Whether you are dealing with employees who don’t bother to spell check their work or leadership that allows important deals to slip through the cracks due to disorganization, you are tolerating your circumstances. And while you are probably not alone, you may be the only one with the courage and insight to effect change.

When you are the one noticing what needs to change and you have some good ideas, it’s your turn to step up and take some chances. But it’s not always clear where to begin.

Often when we are the ones that see that something must “give,” we see two alternatives; toleration or confrontation. But there is a third option (and probably many more as well) that you can try; collaboration.

One way to approach this is to think of a specific scenario from your workplace and then look at it from three perspectives to see what can be learned.

Your scenario may be that every project is coming in slightly over budget due to process issues. Or it could be that too many people in your office have an unprofessional approach to their jobs. Maybe it’s as simple as having an assistant that can’t seem to do what you ask him to do, no matter how many times you explain.

Coach Me Quick Tips for making a choice between toleration, confrontation and collaboration:

  1. Once you have your scenario, look at it through the perspective of toleration. What will happen if you choose to continue to tolerate this situation? There are definitely pros and cons. Be sure to jot a few down. Take your time to explore this option – it is a valid option and you may choose it after all.
  2. Now take a look at your scenario through the perspective of confrontation. Again, list the pros and cons. Who might you need to confront? What might you say? Who might you enlist to help you?
  3. Perspective 3 asks you to consider collaboration. What might your strategy be to implement a collaborative approach? Could you find someone or a few team members to work with to solve the problem? Again, be sure to list the pros and cons.

Once you have your data, take a look. What makes sense? Do you want to make a different choice? Remember that there is no right answer – only an answer that works for you.

Trying to collaborate, but sometimes tolerate in L.A.,

Jamee