Managing the Waiting Game
By Susan D. Rostkoski, Principal Consultant
As we launch ourselves into another new year, it’s a great time to reflect on any number of things. Here’s one I’ve been thinking about: Does it seem as though your life is constantly on hold, waiting for: a response to your email, an invitation that should have arrived weeks ago, a yes or no to proceed with a project, etc.? My own main “waiting for responses” are often dates I have offered for meetings and social events that need to be agreed to by others. For example, I am currently holding--
3 dates for a client who urgently wanted to connect but hasn’t answered my email
4 dates for the meeting of a committee which I chair
2 dates for dinner with friends I see too seldom
And these are all in the same three-week period!
Some waiting times are more serious:
A coworker from whom you requested vital information but who has not shown any sign of even starting
A medical appointment that has the potential to be life changing
A valued person in your life who repeatedly turns to problematic behavior while promising to change
Much waiting comes with the hope or expectation about what others will do to make your/our world more orderly, more productive, more predictable. Perhaps you have heard the saying: "Expectations are premeditated resentments." Don’t assume that the situation is exactly as you have outlined in your mind.
Taking action is often the best antidote to the anxiety produced by waiting. So start with this:
Are your expectations realistic and clear to yourself?
Did you set a date by which you need the information or decision?
Are there others who have lived your particular situation on whom you can rely for wise advice and a listening ear?
Are you prepared to communicate, communicate, communicate in order to clarify your expectations? (Mind reading is out of fashion.)
Are you ready to make a decision and move on, where appropriate?
According to Janine Popick of Inc.com, “Folks who know how to manage expectations are able to more seamlessly navigate the choppy waters of their business and home life. Why? Because they know how to communicate, organize, and direct conversations around things getting done.” And we all know the satisfaction of putting a check mark by a task. I hope you will find some value in these tips for managing your own expectations in the year ahead.
As always, please contact us with any questions you may have, or if we can help you accomplish your mission (www.strategic-cc.com).