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Last week, a bunch of my ghostwriting clients encountered professional losses. One had a million-plus-dollar done deal rescinded without warning, another had a key salesperson resign, someone else had an ugly split with a partner, and yet another sad goodbye to a major client.
Unfortunately, none of us are immune to workplace challenges, but focusing your energy on the one thing you can control — your perspective — can help you deal with them better.
Depending on how we view a situation, it can be seen in a positive or negative light. A classic example of this is the metaphor, “Is the glass is half-full or half-empty?”
Psychologists call this “reframing” because it helps create a different way of viewing and experiencing events, ideas, concepts, and emotions to find more positive alternatives, influencing your thoughts and behaviors. Said another way, your thoughts become your words, which become your actions.
And when you’re dealing with a professional loss, perspective can help you turn it into a career gain; here are five ways how:
1. It helps you see a loss as a change
The most valuable tool in dealing with workplace shifts is your mindset. Reframing a situation as a change rather than a loss means that you accept that things will be that different (and possibly even okay or better).️
2. It shows you that a loss isn’t necessarily negative
As nerve-wracking as it might be to part ways with a longtime client, realize that it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. With that client gone, perhaps now you can focus your core offerings to appeal to fewer, more targeted clients at a premium price point. Or maybe this frees you up to try something new.
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3. It highlights areas of incongruence or misalignment
When we experience a professional loss, it almost always can be traced back to a level of incongruence. Having a deal fall through or an employee resign are red flags that something was off in terms of alignment. Though it may be difficult to embrace, that information can be a gift. The loss may highlight an area you’ve neglected or miscommunicated that you need to explore, improve, or change to prevent a similar situation in the future.
4. It promotes growth
Without change, growth is impossible. Though losses are tough, they can force us out of ruts and complacency. Sometimes we cling to situations out of comfort and routine, but there is no growth in the status quo. In your professional world, you’ll no doubt face challenges that require you to deal with losses. Use these as opportunities to spread your wings and move out of your comfort zone.
5. It reminds you that change is inevitable
As much as we try, we can’t control change; it’s inevitable. But we can control how we respond to it. Rather than have a loss throw you into a spiral of doom, you can come to view it as a chance to see new possibilities emerge. When you acknowledge and reframe your new reality with a different perspective, you’ll be better equipped not only to deal with it but to use it to your advantage.
Remember, the bottom line is this: it’s not a loss if you gain something in return.
