There is no story without an antagonist – I

Imagine a story where the main character while driving from point A to point B faces no obstacles.

Would you even call it a story?

Imagine the same character who meets a stranger at a signal and offers to drop the stranger to the next stop. Your mind will start to think about what happens next. What if the stranger robs the driver? What if the driver takes the stranger to a lonely place? The possibilities of how things could turn are now endless. Suddenly, the story has taken a new turn.

Without the presence of the antagonist, there would have been no story.

Extrapolating the presence of the antagonist to our work place, we can identify many obstacles that come our way. How we navigate them, or how we learn to reframe the obstacles as opportunities for growth, will shape our professional as well as personal growth.

Turning obstacles into opportunities

Workplace obstacles, like antagonists, can make us better professionals and human beings by compelling us to adapt, innovate, and develop resilience. Here are a few examples of the antagonists we face at our offices.

Situation 1: Criticism at workplace

Let us take the example of not being appreciated at workplace. Instead, you face criticism most of the time. Whatever work you do, even if you give it your full attention, is met with harsh criticism.

This can be very demoralising and demotivation.

But what if you were to take this criticism in your stride? It can force you to refine your skills, pay attention to details, and strive for excellence.

Tips to overcome criticism:

Embrace Feedback: View criticism as a tool for improvement rather than a personal attack
Seek Clarification: Understand the specifics of the feedback to address the exact issues
Implement Changes: Act on constructive criticism to show growth and improvement

Situation 2: Failure at work

All of us have faced failure at work. Some have more failed attempts in their kitty than the others. Repeated failures at a particular task can make us lose our confidence.

Failures can however also help you in identifying what went wrong, refine your strategies, and build perseverance.

Tips to handle failures:

Reflection: Reflect on what went wrong and why to avoid repeating mistakes
Stay Positive: Maintain a growth mindset, viewing failures as learning opportunities
Set Realistic Goals: Break down tasks into manageable steps to achieve small wins

Just as every great protagonist emerges stronger from their battles with antagonists, we too can emerge as better professionals and human beings through our encounters with life’s obstacles.

Situation 3: Office politics

Office politics can be very insidious and lead to a toxic work environment. Your efforts can be undermined by your very own team members or even manager! No one is immune from this antagonist!

When looked at from the prism of opportunities, office politics can teach you to be politically savvy, develop stronger interpersonal skills, and build alliances.

Tips to navigate office politics:

Build Alliances: Foster positive relationships with colleagues to create a supportive network
Stay Professional: Focus on your work and maintain professionalism, avoiding getting dragged into office drama
Communicate Transparently: Be clear and honest in your communications to build trust

Just as every great protagonist emerges stronger from their battles with antagonists, we too can emerge as better professionals and human beings through our encounters with life’s obstacles.

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.