Turning an idea into a product is a thrilling yet nail-biting experience. The initial stages of the project are often the most difficult as there are numerous risks and challenges, epitomized by Murphy’s Law – if anything can go wrong, it will.
When Murphy’s Law strikes, normally at the most inopportune moment, there are two ways we can deal with it: we can either react to it or we can choose to respond. There is a critical distinction between the two.
When we react to something we are operating by instinct or impulse. In a stressful and unfamiliar situation, irrational thoughts and feelings can quickly take over and make us do and say things in the moment that we wouldn’t ordinarily do.
However, a response is different. When we respond to a situation we do so with intent and purpose. We consciously set aside irrational feelings and thoughts and create ourselves time and space to think about the situation and form an appropriate response.
In any business, one of management’s responsibilities is to respond appropriately to every situation. By responding, not reacting, the business can successfully deal with problems and setbacks and resolve them quickly and effectively.
The next time Mr. Murphy shows up in your project, pause to give yourself some space and time to think. Ask yourself how we can choose not to react and instead respond appropriately? If it helps, here are some questions to ask:
- Do we fully understand the issue and exactly what is going on here?
- Have we seen this, or a similar, issue before?
- If so, what did we do to resolve a similar issue?
- If not, what makes this problem unique or new to us?
- What are two or three possible responses to this issue?
- Which is the best response for our current situation, capabilities and resources?
- What do we need to do next to implement that response right now?
