The Rules of Work

Anticipate Threats

Threats come at us from every quarter, every day-redundancy, downsizing, take overs, vindictive colleagues, irascible bosses, new technology, new systems, new procedures. In fact entire books are devoted to threats-mostly from change such as Who Moved My Cheese and How to Handle Tough Situation At Work. If we can think on our feet, stay out of ruts, be flexible and move fast, roll with the punches and go the distance, we will not only survive change but we shall also be contortionists and athletes of the highest order. Of course, we can't do all that. There will be times when the threat will overtake us and we get squashed. It happens to us all. There is no getting away from the fact that life gets fired at us at point blank range and we rarely if ever get time to duck.

But a threat is always that. Once becomes a reality we can deal with it. While it is still a threat it induces fear but can do no harm. Spotting which threat will turn into a reality is the skill. The talent. There are many threats and we can't react to all of them. There are fewer realities and we have to react to them.

It helps if we don't see threats as threats, but instead as opportunities. Each threat that becomes a reality is an opportunity to grow and change, adapt and rework our methods and style of management. If our attitude is positive we tend to see threats less as a negative thing and more as a positive thing they bring us the chance to prove ourselves. If we never get challenged we will never improve.

"EACH THREAT THAT BECOMES A REALITY

IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND CHANGE."

(The Rules of work by Richard Templar)