In a working environment where cross-cultures and different age groups are commonplace, it creates a lot of opportunities to be challenged that only we can decide to follow or not.
One of the challenges I had to face was to deal with ‘difficult’ people. I would complain about their crappy work or how a non-ethical game they would play or whatever I would perceive (aka judge/blame) them to be.
Slowly but surely my complaints became fear and anger. I then tried eventually to force a change in their mindset, behavior or way of working but of course, unsuccessfully. Throughout my attempts, my anger just kept growing.
It was only when I brought my complaints to my coach that I came to realize that the solution could all along only be within me. Hard if not sometimes impossible to change the world and its people around me. However, if I change myself and how I look at the world, it will feel different. That transformation within ended up making me more confident while keeping my values and integrity intact. Strangely, following that change of perspective within, even the ‘difficult’ people I had to deal with, some of them became my best colleagues by far.
My biggest take-away was that you can try - and should - make this world a better place but for the things you can’t control, if you don’t like what you see, maybe it is time to change the lenses (aka perceptions) you are looking through.
What about you? Do you want to keep complaining and/or being angry at the world? Or are you ready to take a step to move forward?
Kim Chea is an Associate Coach at SeeAre Pte Ltd. His attraction for international environments started in his early years. Born to a Chinese descent family living in Cambodia, he moved to Europe, studied in Toronto and Beijing, worked in Paris before coming to Singapore in 2012.
While exploring the outer world, Kim delved into the internal world of people as well. This led him to successfully become an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) as per ICF standards.
Kim has the ability to support his clients in their understanding of the experienced challenge and help them design their own creative and optimum solutions.
To learn more about Kim or SeeAre, visit www.seeare.co