Playing Defense at Work
Think of Work as a Football Game. Have fun and get ahead at the same time
I have run into a few people who have asked what to do when they are feeling pressure at work from either a co-worker or a supervisor. They say “I am doing as good a job as I can but it seems like every time I try something it just backfires on me and they get mad. I know that I am a good worker, I don’t know what to do.”
I am sure that you are a good worker. But just because you are a good worker does not mean bad things will happen and mistakes will be made. Also, just because mistakes are made and things are not happening your way does not make you a bad worker. As a matter of fact sometimes we can do a good job and still have people get on our case about something. Don’t let it get you down, we can fix it.
Let’s say that you are playing defense, and your boss is playing offense. They start moving the ball on you. Iif it is football they are driving down the field. You are doing everything you can to stop them but you just can’t.
Does this feel like you? Do you feel like you are playing defense and no matter what happens you can’t stop the offensive pressure from your boss? What would you do if you were in a situation like this? If you were a coach what would you do? You would call TIME OUT!
In this case you can also call time out. Regroup. But this time instead of you meeting with your team in your huddle, and the offense meets in their own huddle, you meet together, and they tell you what the play is going to be.
Go to your boss or supervisor and ask them what you can do better. This is like asking the other team what they are doing to score so many darn points. If your supervisor or boss is worth anything they will tell you exactly what to do better, and what they would like to see you doing.
Now you get back on the field. You stop the offensive juggernaut. You celebrate, you had a good day. But then what happens? The next day the offense does something different and they start to drive the ball. Now you have to think on your feet. The offense goes right a few times. The defense finally stops them. So the offense goes left. Maybe they run the ball a few times, get some yards and the defense gets wise and stops them. Then what happens? The offense goes to the air and gains a few more first downs.
How do you stop them now? You called a time out, they told you what to do, now it seems like they are doing something else. It seems like your boss wants something different from you and you are right back to being the daily whipping boy.
Here is the secret to a good defense and a good relationship with your boss. You must get to know them very well. You must be able to predict their next move. If you have to do this on the run (like the middle of a game, or while you are at work) then you are going to have to give a little ground.
Just like on the football field, or on the basketball court, or any other sport, chasing the other team is a very bad thing. That is exactly what they want you to do. If you are chasing to try to keep up with them you are losing the game.
What has happened if this is your situation at work is that you are chasing your boss’s expectations. You don’t know what they want because you are too busy trying to chase down the last thing that they wanted. Instead you need to change the tide. You need to get offensive.
If you can begin to predict what they are going to want you to do next, you can take the offense and get there first. You may take a few lumps doing this. You may be wrong a few times, but eventually you will figure it out. Then when your boss comes around to tell you how bad of a job you are doing, and instead they see that you did exactly what they wanted, guess what… You only get a grumble, a half hearted ok.
That is fine. At first they will expect you to get “lucky” sometimes and do the right thing, but we are on offense now. You start off onto the next task that your boss will want you to do, and you get that one right also. Then another and another. Before you know it you are now the Star Quarterback and people are looking to you for inspiration.
It takes time, and you will take your blows, but stay with it. Don’t chase, know what is expected of you. People don’t need to tell you. A good worker will know instinctively what to do. If you don’t know then try to get ahead anyway. You may make some mistakes but this is part of learning, and you will soon be on your way to success. Once you get momentum on your side it will be easier and easier.
Think back to when you where playing sports. This is exactly the same. Just do the same thing you did in your glory years, but this time do it at work.
