Exercises can help to improve your response to recurring management challenges
Recently I have been to physiotherapy to see if I can heal a lingering case of tendonitis in my “goose foot tendon”. It seems to be getting better, and the recommendation is that I need to “strengthen the core”. Specifically I need to do balance exercises to strengthen my hip muscles to relieve the strain on the muscles around the knee.
Strengthen the core seems an appropriate metaphor for recurring management challenges as well. Emotional situations can get me out of balance. In my search for insights, I read the book Emotional Agility by Dr. Susan David. She suggests that emotions are teachers. They contain information that can help us figure out what matters to us – and to others.
She shared four key concepts that are possible to practice.
- Showing Up: Instead of ignoring difficult thoughts and emotions or overemphasizing ‘positive thinking’, facing into your thoughts, emotions and behaviors willingly, with curiosity and kindness
- Stepping Out: Detaching from, and observing your thoughts and emotions to see them for what they are—just thoughts, just emotions.
- Walking Your Why: Your core values provide the compass that keeps you moving in the right direction.
- Moving On: Small deliberate tweaks to your mindset, motivation, and habits can make a powerful difference in your life. The idea is to find the balance, so that you are neither complacent nor overwhelmed. You are excited, enthusiastic, invigorated.
Another article suggests exercises for managing teams. Jennifer Porter says “To Improve Your Team, First Work on Yourself”.
She recommends that we strengthen our core by improving our internal and external self-awareness combined with our personal accountability. To put these ideas into action, the article gives these tips:
- Explore your reactions by considering your emotions, beliefs and values and asking yourself what is causing this reaction (internal self-awareness).
- Consider the impact you may be having on others by observation or inquiry (external self-awareness).
- Assess how you are contributing to the situation and make a conscious choice about how to react to improve the team’s outcomes (personal accountability).
The exercises above can be applied regularly, especially when you feel out of balance. With practice, you can strengthen your core and find better ways to respond to recurring management challenges.
Questions for consideration.
- Are you facing recurring management challenges that are difficult to heal?
- Can you find inspiration from research and identify exercises to strengthen your core for better outcomes?
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