How to ride the wave instead of going under
Managers are known to achieve a great deal and aspire to always be "on top". But often enough they have to realize this: They run the risk of sinking. Guest author Volkmar Völzke provides a new impulse for success to avoid being dragged under water.
Do you know this feeling? A full day is behind you: five meetings, 50 e-mails answered, a few decisions made - and yet in the evening you are left with a stale aftertaste. You are exhausted, but not satisfied. If you are honest, your company, your team or you yourself have not made a single millimeter of strategic progress today. Welcome to reaction mode.
When the wave collapses
This is an invisible trap, especially for experienced managers. They work, step on the gas, are constantly busy - and often do not immediately realize that they are no longer steering, but are being driven. Like a surfer who is pulled under the water while the wave crashes over him. I call that being under the wave.
- They react instead of acting.
- They put out fires instead of laying a stable foundation.
- They optimize details while the big questions remain unanswered.
- They have conversations - but none with a view to the future.
The dangerous thing about this is that it becomes the norm. You get used to being busy and confuse activity with progress. You lose sight of the essentials.
In almost all the leadership coaching sessions that I accompany - whether with CEOs, division heads or entrepreneurs - this issue takes center stage at some point. The crucial question is then: How do I get out of it? The answer is not to wait for calmer times. They won't come. Rather, it's about setting new priorities - and that always starts with yourself.
Firstly, a clear target image.
Working strategically means knowing where you want to go and why. Only with this clarity can you recognize where energy is being wasted without real progress. Reflect: What do I want to achieve in the next twelve months - personally, in the team, in the company? What are the three key levers for this?
Secondly, restricted zones in the calendar.
The only way to work strategically is to bring it forward - despite everything else. Block off regular periods of time just for strategy, for example two half days per month. Without meetings, without emails. These fixed appointments are the key to staying above the wave.
Thirdly, a system for self-control.
If you decide what is important every day, you end up back in reaction mode. What you need is a simple system that consistently guides you back to your priorities - with routines, reflection and clear principles.
The good news: you can ride the wave. But it takes a determination to work on your success - not just in your day-to-day business. If you do this, you will gain energy, influence and serenity. And that's what it's all about. The wave won't get any smaller, but you can learn to surf it.
To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch
