They finally recognized your potential at work, and you have the chance to do something new. Something you haven’t done before. Something that comes with a real risk of failure.
This is one of those growth opportunities that can make or break your career. Or your family.
But here are two practices that will come in handy in helping you with both your career and your family when you’re working through your new stretch assignment.
1️⃣ Practice the art of not knowing. They picked you for this new challenge because you have the answers, right? Believing that’s true is one of the biggest reasons people fail at a stretch assignment. This new role is almost certainly going to need new strategies. And at home, so many conflicts happen simply because we believe we know what the other person thinks, wants, or needs. in both cases, we’re more interested in being right than in becoming right. Instead, choose to be grateful when you discover that you don’t know something, and enjoy the process of learning.
2️⃣ Practice the art of presence. The more you discover you don’t know, the more you’re going to want to learn in order to succeed. The pressure to fill in those gaps in knowledge can start to feel overwhelming. When you’re at home, you feel guilty that you’re not making more progress at work, and when you’re at work, you feel guilty because you’re neglecting your family at home. Balance is almost never achievable, but especially not when you’re trying to manage a stretch assignment. Instead of balance, commit to give your full attention to whichever one is in front of you. You’ll make more progress and build stronger connections.
Both of these arts are much easier to read or write about than they are to practice. If you’d like help overcoming the mental barriers that get in the way of your curiosity or your presence, let’s talk. Visit https://stevedwire.com/connect for a complimentary 30-minute conversation to see how I can help you.
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