How to Turn Obstacles into Assets

Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

*     *     *

Successful people work with what they have to achieve their goals.

This includes surprises, obstacles, and even disappointments.

Next time you face a challenge, think about how it can help you.

•  Use negative feedback to gauge whether to invest more resources or pull the plug before it’s too late.
•  Take your boss’ rejection of your idea as a chance to come up with a better one that she will love.
•  Use discouraging market research findings about your product to develop a feature that customers can’t live without.
•  Instead of setbacks, see these events as gifts and make them work for you.

Today’s Management Tip was adapted from “How to Turn an Obstacle into an Asset” by Leonard A. Schlesinger, Charles F. Kiefer, and Paul B. Brown.

To read that article and join the discussion, please click here.

Also, you may wish to check out Management Tips from Harvard Business Review by clicking here.

Leonard A. Schlesinger is the president of Babson College. Charles F. Kiefer is president of Innovation Associates. Paul B. Brown is a long-time contributor to the New York Times. They are the co-authors of Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future (HBR Press 2012). Learn more at juststartthebook.com.

About these ads