“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing” - Henry Ford

Steven (not his real name) was 1 of the better performers in his business unit.

Steven’s performance earned him a promotion and greater responsibilities. Steven continued to perform at a high level until he got so busy he became overwhelmed.

Unfortunately, Steven was now busier than before telling everyone how busy he was!!!

However, now Steven had lost his way; he was just “spinning wheels.” While Steven looked busy to the naked eye, he just wasn’t effective anymore.

And he knew it….

The frustration, uncertainty and dissatisfaction with his job was flowing into Steven’s personal life. Steven was no longer the confident engaging guy he once was. He was no longer fun to be around.

Steven’s situation is a common occurrence that happens to many people; they’re achieving their targeted results until they reach a tipping point where their performance drops.

What’s worse is they stay in this tailspin until something gives. That’s when the person gets ill, leaves the job or finds a way to bounce back. Waiting for the latter to happen is like playing a game of Russian roulette….

Fortunately, in Steven’s case he and his manager discussed his challenges, frustrations and overall performance. It was after this conversation that I was brought in to help get Steven back on track.

4 keys that helped Steven were from:

👉 Putting in place a basic workflow

👉 Stopping overcommitting by getting realistic about what could be achieved

👉 Replacing busy with “got to keep things moving”

👉 Using the power of small wins to stay positive

Steven did a complete 180 when he started hitting his targets again while feeling in control.

Just because someone was effective once doesn’t mean they’ll be effective all the time. Even world class athletes need a coach…

I’ve been in Steven’s shoes myself. Words cannot express how fulfilling it feels to help people like Steven get back on track.