This week we will be looking at some of the solutions that there are to assist us with the challenges of dealing with adversity in the workplace.

These are (but not limited to):

• Expect difficulty: People who stick their heads in the sand or who look at life through rose-tinted glasses are always surprised when things go wrong. Actually, some of them look like frightened deer that have been caught in the headlights of an oncoming car!

I’m not for one moment suggesting that we should be pessimistic and always looking for things to go wrong, and then nodding wisely and saying “You see, I told you it would go belly up!” What I am suggesting is that we become optimistic realists. That we understand what can go wrong, that we are prepared for it should it go wrong, but that we always carry on as if nothing could go wrong – that way if it does, there is always a plan “B” and if it doesn’t – well that’s a bonus, don’t you think?

• Be proactive: This for me is an absolute ‘no brainer’! I find it extremely difficult to understand why people don’t get things going correctly (or even going in the right direction) in the first place. This always necessitates them having to go back to correct it. How crazy is that, and how time consuming, not to mention absolutely frustrating?

It reminds me of the reason that I actually left the bank, many years ago. I was in the Internal Audit Division and each time there was a problem in a department, I would be sent in to sort it out and get it back to what it was supposed to be. One particular department was notorious for not following procedures. It got to a point where every three months I had to go back into the department to restore order – the straw that broke the camel’s back came when that particular department head received a bonus for the manner in which their department was run (when we were audited externally by the International Internal Audit Department) and my efforts were not even acknowledged.

Deal with problems whilst they are still small enough to be handled effectively and with a minimum of fuss and ensure that you maintain your preventative measures. Think about it for a moment – we usually don’t wait until the car falls apart in a heap before we send it in for a service. We usually service it regularly to prevent the car from falling apart in a heap!

Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za

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