![\"\"](\"https:\/\/digitalfacilitation.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/elisa-ventur-bmJAXAz6ads-unsplash-scaled.jpeg\")
<\/a>My manager is a smart, supportive person who wants his people to grow. So I know that what he\u2019d say to me is, \u201cWow, that\u2019s terrible. How can I help you fix that?\u201d What he\u2019s asking here is not to listen to me rant or whine about what\u2019s bothering me. He\u2019s asking for actionable ideas that are within my (or his) control that will make the situation better. This is a totally reasonable and useful thing for him to ask, but chances are I won\u2019t be ready with a good response in that moment. By the time I want to have this conversation, I\u2019m so annoyed or frustrated or upset that I\u2019m not seeing solutions. I need to vent before I can think clearly \u2013 but I don\u2019t want to vent at him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, I work through my problems using a template that starts with a full-on vent and ends with sane, actionable ideas to address the pain points I\u2019m feeling at work. It looks more or less like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a>You can download a copy for yourself or your team here: \n\tFixing My Job Template\t(53919 downloads\t)\n<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n I start by filling in the first column on the left, all the way down. What\u2019s bugging me? This is where I get to vent it all out. I recommend printing the PDF template and writing by hand in case you want to shred it later. Some of what I write in this column should never see the light of day. Usually, I start to feel better as soon as I\u2019ve put it all down on paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the second column, I get to dream. What would I prefer to have happen, if I could have anything at all? It doesn\u2019t matter whether I can bring it about \u2013 but what would the situation look like if it were perfect?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The third column is for acknowledging real issues that stand between what\u2019s I feel now (first column) and what I envision (second column). Is it something I don\u2019t have (like a tool or resource) or something I don\u2019t know (like a skill)? Is it how another person behaves? Some of these blockers I will have control over, and some I won\u2019t. That\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I usually take a break after completing the first 3 columns. A few hours or even a day later, I\u2019ll come back and work on column 4. What can I personally do (or ask my manager to personally do) to move closer to my ideal version of events in column 2? This is the most difficult part, but it\u2019s also where the gold is buried in this exercise. It\u2019s important to acknowledge what is and isn\u2019t within my power to control at this point, and to be honest about steps I could take that I might not look forward to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note that I\u2019m not committing to doing all these things. Some of them might be difficult, and some are probably outside my comfort zone or I wouldn\u2019t have the problem in the first place. I might need coaching or support to do some of them. But what I am doing is making a list that shows I have some control over the frustrating parts of my job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final step is to underline or circle the actions I will actually do or ask my manager to do. Then I can either start doing them or set up some time to present my ask to him. Usually, there\u2019s enough that I can do on my own that I don\u2019t even need to schedule time with my manager before getting started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The impact of this framework is that it moves me from feeling frustrated, powerless, and stuck to being an active agent for positive change in my own life. Remember the change formula<\/a>: C = DVF > R. CHANGE only happens when people combine DISSATISFACTION with the current situation with a compelling VISION of something better and clear FIRST STEPS toward action, thus overcoming RESISTANCE to change. Lacking any of the DVF elements, there is no C. This framework links the D, the V, and the F together very clearly, so I have a path to overcome my own resistance to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a manager yourself, consider sharing this framework with your team. It should help them clarify what they can do and what they may need from you to ease the pain points of their own jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get your copy here: \n\tFixing My Job Template\t(53919 downloads\t)\n<\/a>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We all have days when we just don\u2019t like our jobs \u2013 when a bunch of annoyances seem to pile up at once, and we start feeling like we can\u2019t take it anymore. When this happens to me, I imagine … Continue reading How It Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why It Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n