When things go wrong on a job, the all-too-human tendency is to look outside ourselves for the villain. But the truth is that we ourselves are often the principal bottleneck.

How? By failing to follow through … refusing to compromise … trying to do too many things at once … complaining too much.

The remedies:
Follow through. Projects need to be pushed—continuously. If, after initializing a plan, you wait for things to happen, you will almost surely be disappointed. Take a close look at your current impasse. Check to be sure that your own foot isn’t on the brake.

Give a little. We frequently cling to an idea, fearful that the slightest alteration will ruin it. We brook no criticism and will not yield one inch. But in the process we may be precluding the one move that would crack a hole through the barrier.

Suppose we give our opponents a chance this way: “Do you have any suggestions?” “I’d welcome your opinion on this.” “Maybe the plan ought to be modified in some way.”

By giving people a chance to lodge an objection or point out an oversight, you may succeed in disarming them whether or not they have anything to contribute. Your demonstrated willingness to make concessions and weigh others’ ideas may prove to be a strategy that will make concessions unnecessary.

Concentrate on one problem at a time. When you try to knock over several hurdles at once, you are likely to find that none topples easily. Select the hurdle that is blocking your most important goal and work intensively on that one first. When that one has been removed, turn to another.

Don’t broadcast the problem. You’d be surprised how few people beside yourself know about the specific problems confronting you. Unless there is some advantage in getting your idea before a committee, don’t magnify the problem by broadcasting it indiscriminately.

Take the impasse in your stride. Few achievements worth anything are made without running into frustration, criticism, argument and resistance. We might argue that the more daring the idea, the greater that resistance is apt to be. Recognize from the beginning that the hurdles that others put in your way will be perceived for what they are—additional parts of the problem.

Don’t let them get you down. Belief in your ability to prevail, a positive attitude—but not stubbornness for its own sake—will enable you to avoid one of the greatest roadblocks to achievement—yourself and your attitudes.

A Cure for the Obnoxious Employee
Employees occasionally exhibit unattractive traits. Some may be egotists who can’t accept the fact that they can learn from others. Some may be so ambitious, they think that undermining another worker is part of the accepted state of affairs. And some may look down on those who are lower than they in the corporate hierarchy and treat them with obvious disdain. In short, some employees are downright obnoxious. Most eventually get their comeuppance, but others seem to get away with murder month after month. What can you do?

1. Most people learn the penalty of misbehaving by feeling the hard knocks that others give them when they behave that way. Letting them get the cold shoulder from colleagues, or being left out of the social niceties of the work group, is one way. Obnoxiousness as a system of establishing worth is a self-perpetuating pattern of behavior. If it works once, it will be tried again. If it produces only hard knocks or slapped wrists, however, it will be used with more reluctance and, perhaps, eventually abandoned.
2. For the person who has an advanced case that is causing overall productivity and quality to suffer, there is no cure unless the individual recognizes the condition and tries to control it. Normally, the individual’s mana-ger can point out that his or her work and personal progress are being adversely affected by these tantrums, and can seek agreement that the condition exists and needs improvement. This is often slow work and occasional lapses are to be expected, coupled with some guilt afterwards. Failing this, the manager might seek professional help.
3. In one case, a competent young sales manager for a large company was suffering from a case of massive egotism. His selling record was admittedly excellent. But he undertook to tell development, engineering, manufacturing and just about every other department about their shortcomings. Not wishing to lose his excellent abilities, but pressed for action by a number of people, the general manager rotated him into a position as plant manager. After two months of trying to apply some of his methods there, he asked to be sent back to sales, a chastened and wiser man. The plant did not really suffer because the people at the next lower level had kept things going in spite of him. They had also contributed greatly to his maturation by pointing out the effects of his impulsive and ill-formed decisions.

Not everyone can receive such valuable and quick training, but the principle is sound. An unjustified feeling of superiority can be brought into line by putting the individual in a spot where he or she can taste failure and, just maybe, grow acquainted with that old-fashioned but important quality, humility.

Tested Ways To Reduce Your Workload

1. Dispose of the things that can be handled promptly. The few projects that remain are not hard to cope with if the pile of work no longer looks hopeless.
2. Stop wrestling with a problem that momentarily has you stumped. Put it aside and come back to it when your mood and mind have improved.
3. Keep work on top of your desk where it can haunt you and thereby stand a better chance of being done.
4. Learn to say no to some of the requests made of you. It’s flattering to be asked to speak or to serve on a committee, but these invitations are also cruel demands on your time and energy.
5. Take time to communicate with others who may be involved with you in a project. A few minutes spent at the start to explain something can save endless hours later by preventing misunderstandings.
6. Develop shortcuts wherever possible. Writing your reply to a memo at the bot-tom of the memo page instead of dictat-ing a formal answer saves both time and money.

How To Generate More Ideas
Regardless of your job, the ability to come up with ideas is vital to your success. Indeed, you can’t have too many ideas because only one out of 10 or more will prove worthwhile. To boost your personal output of ideas, try this technique—in terms of your own job, answer these questions.

What made me mad today?
What took too long?
What was the cause of a complaint?
What was misunderstood?
What cost too much?
What did we waste?
What was too complicated?
What was just plain silly?
What job required too many people?
What job involved too many motions?
What job didn’t get done?

The answers will almost certainly give you a long list of needs. Once you have them, you have a set of specific targets to think about. The ideas will almost surely come.

Accept the Responsibility
During Bill Clinton’s administration, Washington Democrats told a story of the confirmed Republican who dreamed of four beautiful girls. He was awakened by the chirping of birds and found four starlings perched outside his window. Consulting his newspaper, he noticed that it was April 4—the fourth day of the fourth month. It all had to signify something, he decided, and checked the day’s horse races. Sure enough, in the fourth race, a horse named Henry IV was starting from post position four. Rushing to the track, he bet $400 on the horse and confidently watched the race. The horse came in fourth. “Damn this administration anyway!” he muttered, tearing up his tickets.

True or not, the story points up the all-too-human tendency to blame others for our mistakes. While comforting, there is one thing wrong with this approach. By refusing to accept the responsibility for an error, you virtually assure yourself of repeating it, and there is nothing to be gained from that. And a great deal to lose.

When you make a mistake, therefore, admit it. It’s the first, necessary step toward rectifying it.

How To Make Yourself Likable
Although there are no statistics to back up the general statement, it’s a safe assumption to say that people prefer to work for managers who are likeable than for those who aren’t. How do you cultivate this elusive quality? Consider these suggestions.

Don’t be egotistical and guard against giving the impression that you know it all, even if you do—and you probably don’t.

Do your best to be interesting so people will get something of value from associating with you.

Practice liking people until you learn to do it genuinely. Fortunately, there are few men or women who are totally detestable.

Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulations upon anyone’s achievements or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment.

Sincerely make the attempt to heal every misunderstanding.

Acquire the quality of being relaxed and easygoing so that things don’t ruffle you.

Keep your sense of humor.