Rebuild - Have a STROP
When things are getting on top of you, when you are feeling anxious about what needs to be done, why don’t you have a STROP? That’s right, you can have a STROP. Now, I know normally people tell you to calm down and not to lose it or have a strop. But I am telling you to have a STROP.
Stop & ground yourself in the present. 90 seconds just noticing and listening to things around you.
Tap into your power. Remind yourself of what you are good at to bring into this situation.
Remind yourself of times like this when it has been ok
Options – what things could you do now?
Power or control – choose one thing that is in your control
The brain is hard-wired to look out for danger and sometimes it works overtime. Having a STROP allows you to reset the overworking and focus it back on what you can control.
A leadership STROP
Whilst having a strop is generally frowned on at work this kind of STROP can be very helpful as a leader. When you are dealing with complex situations or a stack of things coming at you at once, try the same technique.
STOP – just press pause on everything coming at you. The tendency can be to rush into an answer but this is often not helpful as it is not through though.
TAP into your power. Remind yourself what it is that you uniquely bring that could help in this situation.
REMIND – when have you tackled an issue like this before? What did you learn then? How could it be useful now in this situation?
OPTIONS – what things could be done? Don’t shoot straight into the first answer. List the possibilities.
POWER or control. It can be so easy to focus on the big things that frustrate us. Often these are not in our power to change. So, zoom in on the things that you can make a difference to.
These five simple steps will help you take issues that you feel are swamping you into a simple clear step to manage the situation and find the best way forward. Go on – have a STROP.
If you would like help to control a situation, contact us at Everyday Leader. We can empower you to gain clarity with some simple questions and maybe a bit of grid work. Give us a call at 01449 710438 or email colin@everydayleader.co.uk if you would like us to help you explore this and empower you.
