3 ways to deal with business stagnation

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Each of us has happened to get stuck on some problem. Often, instead of trying to solve it, we start doing small things. But procrastination can be dealt with. Recommendations from Help Scout will help you with this.

We are all familiar with the doubts that occupy all thoughts. Moreover, the realization that the case has stalled usually does not come immediately. Someone at such moments is mindlessly staring at the screen, someone is watching …

The first step to solving any problem is to admit that it exists. And to take this step, as always, is the most difficult thing.

It's embarrassing to talk about it, but when I want to avoid some big deal, I start playing solitaire. Some of us procrastinate in a more productive way. For example, Chris Brookins, head of Help Scout's technical department, admits that sometimes he does a bunch of small, simple tasks to avoid a big one. However, as long as we procrastinate, important things to do on our lists do not disappear.

So, it is very important to understand how you start to behave when you want to avoid problems. After all, if you learn to recognize such conditions, you can take action in time.

These tips will help you the next time you find yourself stumped.

1. Use proven techniques

Bad news: There is no one size fits all recipe or formula for solving all of your problems. The good news is that there are many ways to look at a problem and therefore generate ideas for solving it.

Gregory Ciotti Marketing Specialist at Help Scout

The practical benefit of using mental models is to change the habitual way of thinking, and this helps to cope with negativity. You have to give up the question "What can I do to be great?" and ask yourself, "What can I do to stop doing stupid things?"

Help Scout programmer Craig Davis, who once worked in an ambulance, uses an algorithm to identify and solve problems that helps doctors diagnose a patient. With a little practice, these questions can solve absolutely any problem.

1. What caused this the first time? What triggered the problem today?
2. What makes the situation worse, and what makes it better? Is there anything you can do to stop the worsening situation?
3. How can you describe the pain?
4. Where does it hurt the most? Do you feel pain anywhere else?
5. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 is the most unbearable pain you have ever felt, how much pain are you in now?
6. How long has this been going on? Have your symptoms changed?

If you can answer these questions to your doctor or ask yourself when you identify the problem, you will be surprised at how obvious it is.

2. Take a break

So you've admitted that you are pursuing your own avoidance tactics. What to do next? You have stepped on a slippery slope, so your natural desire will be to focus on the problem. Stop!

Step away and let your subconscious mind work for a while. This is an incubation period as our brains continue to think hard about problems after we consciously step back from them and do something else.

Long walks, meditation, prayer, good sleep, exercise and even boring trips to and from work free you from all distractions, allow your thoughts to wander, and your subconscious mind - to work its magic. Have you ever wondered why the best ideas come to you the most in the shower? That's why.

Nick Francis CEO Help Scout

Bad decisions come instantly, so I prefer to give myself time to dig deeper into the problem. I constantly reflect on my relationships with my teammates and how I can better support and guide them. Illumination always comes when I'm alone, so it can happen while walking, exercising, taking a shower, or working on weekends.

3. Take advice

Talking to a non-interested party - a teacher, spouse, therapist, friend, or colleague - can help you see the problem from a different perspective. Explain what is the essence of the question, what you have already done and where you got stuck.

Unlike you, these people are not involved in the problem, so they will see the whole situation from a different angle and will be able to ask questions that never even crossed your mind.

Sometimes a simple story about the problem is enough. As you speak, you may stumble upon an obvious solution.

Chris Brookins Head of Technical Help Scout

I break the problem down into small pieces, put them on the shelves in my head, and then ask for help if some part is troubling me.

Nobody is insured

I got stuck when I got to this part. I couldn't decide where to start and what to focus on, and noticed that for several minutes I was just staring mindlessly at the screen. I've worked on other projects. And maybe she played a couple of solitaire games.

In the end, I realized what was happening. I got up, closed my computer and walked around the city. I interviewed my colleagues. I read and slept a little. And here's the proof: if these methods didn't work, you would never have read this article.