In this holiday season, we are more thankful than ever for our clients, partners, vendors and friends.
As we are beginning the holiday season, I wanted to share how much the team at Paladin appreciates you. Whether a partner to our business, a client or a friend, you are part of a constellation of people who make our work worth doing. As the holiday season gets underway and we enjoy a month of familiar cultural touch points, from turkey to Christmas movies, I thought I’d pass along a little holiday wisdom: how to deal with those “oh fudge” moments.
If you’re familiar with A Christmas Story, you recall Ralphie expressing his dismay with “that phrase” and the trouble that ensued. We all have those moments that seem like they are going to get the better of us. So, as we prepare for this season of deadlines, deliverables, and rush, here is a little guide to handling those moments:
Focus: direct your attention to what matters. What are the key priorities and what exactly must be achieved? Smartly defining what problem you need to solve is critical! Tune out the things that are distracting you from resolution.
Uncover: what are the decisions and obstacles that stand between you and the objective? Who, what, where, when, and how can those decisions be made and obstacles knocked down?
Delegate: don’t go it alone. Get help from those around you, pull in some expert opinions and work as a team to be successful.
Get across: communicate your message to all those who need to hear it Follow-up with your plan, your progress, and your findings. During crunch times, making sure everyone has all the pertinent facts and information is super important.
Execute: take action. Hand wringing, worry, second guessing do not get you to resolution. Work your plan, adjusting if needed, with good faith and openness. The finish will be worth it.
So, next time you have one of those Ralphie-style “oh fudge” moments, take a breath, follow the steps and what appears to be a disaster can turn into a sweet treat of success.
-Candice, David & the team at Paladin