Since founding Total Assist Group back in 1999, it is only natural that I have encountered and come up against numerous challenges along the way. Many people simply view challenges as additional and unforeseen problems, however I take a different standpoint. A core belief of mine that I actively promote at Total Assist Group, is that my staff seek to challenge themselves at every opportunity, as I believe it is vitally important to tackle difficulties head on.
Why challenge yourself?
Change is one of the main causes of new challenges, so working within a developing and expanding business is a hotspot of ripe and ready challenges. Avoiding challenges can make you complacent and encourages a static work ethic – this isn’t what we are about. Challenges promote growth and ensure we are not outdated or stagnant, whilst continuously pushing us forward, which is exactly what we are striving for. They open up new opportunities that may need negotiating and may be tough at the beginning, but it is all about seeing the end goal.
Challenges help us:
1) Grow. Dealing with challenges lets us prove to ourselves that we can manage, that we can be successful and that we can achieve. They demonstrate that we can live up to our full potential and give us the confidence to work towards future successes.
2) Hit goals. Whether you are reaching for department set targets, or more personal ambitions, you don’t get to where you want to be without tackling challenges. Learning to weave and work your way through the challenge minefield can help you hit the top, as well as being immensely satisfying once you have achieved it.
3) Be innovative. If something doesn’t work, or flow correctly, then it needs fixing, no matter how problematic that appears. Finding solutions in processes and business methods is time consuming work but immensely beneficial in the long run if you look ahead past the immediate challenge. Improving the status quo to help it work for you is only a positive.
4) Gain new experiences. Challenges can come in all shapes and sizes, allowing you to really broaden your horizons and try out new things. Whether this be working within a new team, taking a promotion or developing a new job role, challenges will help you notch up plenty of experience in different directions that you may not be used to.
How to manage challenges
Challenges are all about rising to the next level, improving and striving to accomplish goals, which can make them daunting to take on. Here’s how you should manage challenges that arise:
- Accept it. Instead of bemoaning the fact that a problem has cropped up, instead accept the challenge for what it is and focus on how you can tackle the issue to resolve it.
- Be positive. If you think you can’t do it, then you won’t. Keep your mind open to new ideas and pathways that could help you complete the challenge, and know that you can see it through to the end.
- Realise you can learn. Every challenge is a learning curve so see it as such and it will be less intimidating to manage and conquer.
- Be pro-active. Don’t let challenges overwhelm you, but instead concentrate on how you can get through and past them, making a comprehensive plan of action for what you need to do or work out to overcome the problem.
[testimonial name=”By Justin Rich” who=”Chairman at Total Assist Group ” imagelinks=”https://totalassist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Justin-5.jpg” vertical=”no”]”Total Assist was founded by myself in 1999 specialising in the supply of Locum Doctors and today more than 70 ambitious employees occupy our modern offices and headquarters in Essex.”[/testimonial]
