There is no story without an antagonist – II

Antagonists, whether they are people, situations, or internal struggles, play a crucial role in our personal and professional development.

In my last post, I had illustrated a few workplace situations where we encounter antagonists and how we need to learn to navigate them.

Here are a few more of such situations.

Situation 4: Deadlines, and deadlines, and more deadlines

Communicators and Public Relations professionals work under intense pressure. Everything has to be delivered, like, by yesterday!

There is no denying that deadlines pressure can help one prioritise tasks, delegate effectively, and manage time efficiently. Yet, enduring the pressure of deadlines can take a heavy toll on the mental well-being of professionals.

Tips to manage time:

Prioritise Tasks: Focus on the most critical tasks first to ensure key deliverables are met
Delegate: Assign tasks to team members based on their strengths to distribute the workload
Use tools: Use time management tools and techniques, like the Pomodoro Technique, to stay on track

Situation 5: No budget!

I remember my team and I once came up with a winning idea of running a media campaign for the launch of a new product. We had the nod of the business vertical and were very excited with our plan. We worked on a near perfect strategy for launching the campaign. Only to have the whole plan scuttled because we did not get the required budget approvals from our global head office!

We had to then rework our strategy and come out with a different idea that could be implemented within the limited budget that we had.

So, while necessity can drive innovation, working with constraints can encourage creative problem-solving and lead to efficient use of available resources.

It is like when you are cooking and realise you lack a couple of ingredients. Often, we make do with what we have or improvise by becoming creative!

Tips to overcome budget constraints:

Innovate: Think outside the box to find creative solutions within the constraints
Optimise Resources: Make the most of available resources by prioritising and reallocating as needed
Leverage Technology: Use technology to streamline processes and improve efficiency

Situation 6: Team dynamics

Most of us work in teams. But not everything is aligned always. Team members come with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Conflicting view points can play a negative role and lead to an environment of mistrust and toxicity.

Learning to manage a diverse team can teach you valuable lessons in leadership, inclusivity, effective communication, and conflict resoultion.

Tips to manage teams:

Foster Inclusivity: Encourage an inclusive environment where every team member feels valued
Facilitate Communication: Promote open communication to ensure all voices are heard and understood
Resolve Conflicts: Address conflicts promptly and fairly to maintain team cohesion

Be friends with your antagonist

Overcoming obstacles builds mental and emotional resilience, enabling you to handle future challenges with greater ease. It also makes you adapt, learn new skills, and stay flexible in a constantly changing environment. Facing struggles makes one more empathetic towards others, fostering a supportive and collaborative work culture.

By viewing obstacles as opportunities for growth, we can transform challenges into stepping stones that lead us to greater success and fulfillment.

The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.

Sarita Bahl

Sarita Bahl is an alumnus of Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Swedish Institute of Management Program. An experienced and versatile leader, she comes with nearly four decades of professional experience. She has over the years successfully overseen the communications and public affairs function and led the corporate social responsibility strategy for Bayer South Asia, Pfizer, and Monsanto, among others. Sarita has held multiple roles across diverse industries, the public sector, trade associations, MNCs, and the not-for-profit sector. Her areas of interest include advocacy, stakeholder engagement, sustainability, and communications.

As an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Senior Practitioner (Mentoring) from the European Council of Mentoring and Coaching (EMCC), Sarita specializes in career transition, inner engineering and life issues. Sarita enjoys writing and is passionate about animals, books, and movies.