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The most effective way to turn a difficult situation into a personal success is to stick to guns when it comes to following your own values.
Successful people say that it’s imperative to keep true to your gut instincts , especially when you feel pressured to do something that doesn’t feel right. That pressure may represent a conflict in ethics, or it might just be a trade off that you know will not produce the desired results. Linda Kral, a former executive with responsibilities in sales operations, administration, and human resources at a language education telemarketing company, found that keeping the big picture in mind gave her the fortitude to weather a difficult management situation. “I had a particular incident where the president of the company wanted me to manage differently,” says Linda. “We were going through a challenging time. We weren’t getting the results we wanted, and I was being asked to ‘kick butt’ in the sales staff to get better results. I wasn’t 100 percent convinced it was all the fault of the sales department. So I decided to do a test. I decided to trust my own instincts, the way I work with people, and the way I thought I could get results.” Instead of “kicking butt,” Linda spent time trying to get the sales group to understand the predicament. She believed that if she told them the true seriousness of the situation and its consequences in a way that motivated them instead of making them fearful, it would work much better. These conversations let the sales group know that her job—and theirs—were at stake. Calling on the rapport she had already built, Linda asked them to work with her in order to get the results that her boss had asked for. Linda’s faith in the sales staff and her vision of what she wanted to achieve were part of the big picture she had to keep in mind. The company got the results it wanted—in fact they exceeded them. There was another benefit, too. When Linda talked to the president, she says, “I explained that I decided to do what I did because I didn’t feel right about [her boss’s approach ]. If you ask someone to do something they fundamentally do not believe in, then you can’t expect to get a favorable result. The president said he was glad I had followed my instincts and appreciated the way I communicated with him.” Linda calls this experience a turning point in her career. “I had worked very hard to prove that I was good at what I do and to produce results. Still, I suffered from the ‘Good Girl Syndrome’—doing what you’re told to do and being cooperative and flexible. I’m always flexible and I’m always cooperative, but I also have to be true to myself. If was either that, or quit. It was gratifying that the consequences were such that I didn’t quit my job and I came to a new level of understanding with the president of the company. I think he has a new respect for me because I stood my ground, and maybe he has a better understanding of what my parameters are.” 6 key points to keep in mind the next time you’re faced with a difficult management situation: - Keep the big picture in mind
- Stick to your guns and your values
- Speak the truth
- Share your vision
- Call on past successes
- Be yourself
Linda adds, “I saw that situation as a door shutting. But I also know that no door shuts without another opening. I looked at the situation as a business challenge and also a personal challenge. I never really doubted myself. I just tried to think about why it was occurring. I remember thinking that I have had all this success so far, so why can’t I be successful again? I didn’t see that I had any other choice. I didn’t want to be where I couldn’t be myself.” I hope this will help you turn difficult situations into successes. Have fun, Pam 
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Pam Gilberd, www.pamgilberd.net, wirtes and speaks on career, life, and success issues. Her books include: The Eleven Commandments of Wildly Successful Women., The Twelfth Commandment of Wildly Successful Only registered users can write comments.
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