If you're just catching up with us, here are step 1 and step 2 on How To Manage Your Hot Buttons.
By now you should know what your hot buttons are and how you tend to react. You should also have a good idea about how your reactions negatively impact situations. In other words, what you regret later.
So, how do you go about managing those situations better? The simple answer is make the decision and just do it. But you might need a couple of more steps in there to make it happen. So let's take a minute and go back to Brad's situation in step 2.
The reality is that Brad could lose his job if he doesn't make some changes. His behavior is causing tension in the team, and he's alienating his customers. Both of those situations cost the company time. Here's a strategy that he could try:
Decide - By making the decision to change his behavior he's more likely to follow through
Pause & Plan - He knows that every day he needs to cover the tech support line. He has time to anticipate and create a plan. His plan might be to change the way he thinks about it. Instead of thinking about how much he dreads the job, he can focus on how good it feels to help his customers get unstuck. He could even create a little game for himself. He could keep a scorecard next to his phone and give himself a point for each customer he helps.
Practice - Changing behavior takes practice. We're creatures of habit, and it's easy for us to fall back into our old habits, unless we pay attention. That's why tracking his successes would be a good way to measure progress.
Reflect & Adjust - Brad needs to make time at least every week to review his progress. Chances are things aren't perfect yet, and reflecting gives him an opportunity to recognize where he still gets stuck. It also gives him the chance to consciously think about what he can do a little differently to progress further.
Repeat - Persistence is important when you're creating new habits. So when you're focusing on something specific it's helpful to follow a process and keep repeating it until you get the results you want. It's the same process that athletes use in their training.
Ok, are you ready? If you're going to take on this final phase of the challenge, let me know! I'm happy to help if I can!
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