Farmers in the southern state of Alabama were accustomed to planting one crop every year, and that was cotton.�They would plow as much ground as they could and plant their crop. Year after year they lived by the cotton�harvest.
Then one year the dreaded boll weevil (a major pest of the cotton crop) devastated the whole area. So, the next year�the farmers mortgaged their homes and planted cotton again, hoping for a good harvest. But as the cotton began to�grow, the insect came back and destroyed the crop, wiping our most of the farms.
The few who survived those two years of the boll weevil decided to experiment the third year, so they planted�something they�d never planted before, peanuts. And peanuts proved so hardy and the market proved so ravenous�for that product that the farmers who survived the first two years reaped profits that third year that enable them to�pay off all their debts. They planted peanuts from then on and prospered greatly.
Then you know what those farmers did? They spent some of their new wealth to erect in the town square a�monument, to the boll weevil. If it hadn�t been for the boll weevil, they never would have discovered peanuts. They�learned that even out of disaster, misfortune, trouble, difficulty and hardship there can be great delight. In some�cases, adversity carries with it a silver lining.
The above story parallels how adversity, for most us, is something that we encounter on a regular basis in the�workplace. Difficulties crop up no matter how small or large a business is, and successful businesses understand the�challenges they face when it comes to overcoming difficulties and adversity in the marketplace. Identifying both�external and internal challenges can help a business keep up with the ever-changing business environment.�Additionally, paying attention to the struggles of a company�s greatest asset, its associates, and creating a supportive�environment for them can help improve the ability of the company to handle external adversities as a cohesive unit.�To accomplish this requires empowering your employees to identify, understand and overcome their own adversities�in the workplace.
How does this begin to happen? Those who hold managerial positions must work determinedly to earn and retain the�respect of their associates. They must create a work-place environment in which associates feel that they are of�value, what they do is of value, and the results of what they do has value (making a worthwhile contribution).
To follow are some proven strategies that managers can begin to apply into the workplace that will aid their�associates in preparing, handling and overcoming perceived workplace adversities.
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Adversity
Just Another Way to Measure Your Moxie - Picture illustrative purpose only.[/caption] Serve as an example. Associates watch how the boss deals with things and the attitudes, emotions, and behaviors�which are displayed. Have an open dialogue with associates and allow them to witness both your struggles and�successes. Share how you faced difficulties to reach your goals. Be open and honest. Truthfulness builds�relationships. Challenge associates to stretch themselves. Encourage associates to analyze their work behaviors, identifying both�strengths and areas of improvement. Have them look at things from different perspectives, even if it means making�them uncomfortable. We all tend to be afraid of the unknown. Expanding our comfort zones is part of the learning�process. Focus on specific goals and objectives. Discuss goals and how they are connected to job performance and how job�performance helps in the achievement of future career objectives (this helps answer the associate�s question of��What�s in it for me?�). Goals should be challenging, stretching one out of his or her comfort zone, however they must be reachable. Goals that challenge associates along the path to fulfilling personal career objectives will provide�the associate with the opportunity to tackle adversity in the short-run while working toward long-term achievement. Break all task into manageable pieces. Completing tasks in this form allows associates to tackle adversity straight�on while making progress towards task completion. Such a routine will build associate confidence for dealing with�future task. Also as each portion of the task is completed, a sense of progress will be felt which will aid in raising�self-esteem. Create a workplace culture of hopefulness. One of confidence (optimism) about the future. Encourage associates to�carry an optimistic outlook in all the areas of their lives, both personal and professional. Optimism is a form of�positive thinking that includes the belief that you are responsible for your own happiness, and that more good things than bad will continue to happen to you. Promote an open-door policy. Encourage associates to seek help if they find themselves in a struggle and make the�necessary resources available. This can include coaching sessions, additional training and education or involvement�in a mentoring relationship. Prepare to deal with stress-inducing situation. Help associates become familiar with stressors that are common�place on the job and educate associate how to manage stressful situations and work around stress-inducing behavior. Now that you have read these, begin to apply them. Adapted from �How to Deal with Adversity in the Workplace" by Nicole Long

Just Another Way to Measure Your Moxie - Picture illustrative purpose only.[/caption] Serve as an example. Associates watch how the boss deals with things and the attitudes, emotions, and behaviors�which are displayed. Have an open dialogue with associates and allow them to witness both your struggles and�successes. Share how you faced difficulties to reach your goals. Be open and honest. Truthfulness builds�relationships. Challenge associates to stretch themselves. Encourage associates to analyze their work behaviors, identifying both�strengths and areas of improvement. Have them look at things from different perspectives, even if it means making�them uncomfortable. We all tend to be afraid of the unknown. Expanding our comfort zones is part of the learning�process. Focus on specific goals and objectives. Discuss goals and how they are connected to job performance and how job�performance helps in the achievement of future career objectives (this helps answer the associate�s question of��What�s in it for me?�). Goals should be challenging, stretching one out of his or her comfort zone, however they must be reachable. Goals that challenge associates along the path to fulfilling personal career objectives will provide�the associate with the opportunity to tackle adversity in the short-run while working toward long-term achievement. Break all task into manageable pieces. Completing tasks in this form allows associates to tackle adversity straight�on while making progress towards task completion. Such a routine will build associate confidence for dealing with�future task. Also as each portion of the task is completed, a sense of progress will be felt which will aid in raising�self-esteem. Create a workplace culture of hopefulness. One of confidence (optimism) about the future. Encourage associates to�carry an optimistic outlook in all the areas of their lives, both personal and professional. Optimism is a form of�positive thinking that includes the belief that you are responsible for your own happiness, and that more good things than bad will continue to happen to you. Promote an open-door policy. Encourage associates to seek help if they find themselves in a struggle and make the�necessary resources available. This can include coaching sessions, additional training and education or involvement�in a mentoring relationship. Prepare to deal with stress-inducing situation. Help associates become familiar with stressors that are common�place on the job and educate associate how to manage stressful situations and work around stress-inducing behavior. Now that you have read these, begin to apply them. Adapted from �How to Deal with Adversity in the Workplace" by Nicole Long