It’s natural to occasionally feel out of your depth in any job. But for busy dealers tasked with keeping their cool when pressures mount, staying calm isn’t always easy. We share some key strategies for regaining control when you feel overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed and burned out can happen to anyone – from CEOs to new starters. Feeling like you’re out of your depth, particularly when people are relying on you to lead from the front can have a long-term impact on your mental wellbeing and on business operations. As dealers, you are used to having to react quickly – always staying on your toes to ensure you keep ahead of the competition and remain agile in a challenging business landscape.
Step one: Take stock
The first step is to sit back and analyse the situation. Whilst you may be feeling overwhelmed right now, it’s important to dig into this and what it specifically means to you. Make notes and form a picture of exactly what it is that is causing you to feel out of your depth. It could be:
Workload/time management – there aren’t enough hours in the day
Work/life balance – you’ve ended up working evenings and weekends
Relationships with colleagues – you’re not getting the support you need
Customer expectations – maybe you feel like you aren’t able to deliver what you promised
Management responsibilities – you need to find solutions to balance business needs
The more specific you can be about the issues that you’re facing, the easier it will be to put plans in place to address them.
When you’ve identified the specific areas that are making you feel out of your depth, spend some time reflecting on how you got here and when the situation started to decline. Maybe it was a breakdown in communication or of a working relationship. Maybe you’re operating within a structure that has inefficient ways of working, or maybe there has been an increasing conflict of priorities or a difference of opinion. Many dealers and businesses go through periods where resources are limited, putting additional pressure on you to fill the gaps – whether that be marketing, administration or just making sure there are enough staff to cover all the tasks that need doing.
Step two: Empower yourself
If you’re thinking that the problem you have is out of your control and you don’t have the power to resolve it, ask yourself, ‘How can I mitigate the impact? What changes can I make to how I work?’
Create a set of action steps that you can easily implement. These might include:
Reviewing your strategic plan and reassessing business priorities
Studying for further qualification or diversifying your skill set
Finding a mentor or coach who can help you realign with your business goals
Short-term support measures such as a day working from home
Redistributing tasks and activities to better utilise the key skills in your team
Strategic outsourcing – would it be more effective to outsource some tasks?
Step three: Regain perspective
You may worry that you can’t let anyone know you feel overwhelmed, or that this will affect the way people perceive you as a business leader. Consider first whether your perception is truly accurate. What makes you think this? How do you know that this is a truth and not just an assumption? Finding someone to talk to and discuss new approaches to problems can help give you a new perspective and feel more energised to tackle obstacles. Dealers may find this in former managers or colleagues, dealer groups or online networks.
Talking to peers whose business values align with your own helps dealers to reconnect with their motivations and identify the most effective ways to address and enhance the situation. Leaders exhibit their optimal performance when they possess a sense of control, not only within their roles but also within themselves. Although maintaining composure can be challenging amidst crises and change, exceptional leadership arises from the capacity to acknowledge these moments and proactively take steps to make positive changes.
Be the first to comment