I am puppysitting for a friend this week. Maverick is a three month old Border Collie, but he may as well be a piranha. At that age dogs begin teething and Maverick’s chew toy of choice is me. He especially enjoys gnawing at the softest parts of my skin, like behind my knees. I became really agitated with his constant biting, I felt like it came from a place of aggression or frustration, and I was irritated at perpetually defending myself.
I realised, then, that he would bite me no matter what, and I had the power to choose how to approach him. Once I chose to sit on the floor with him, play with him, retarget his attention on a chew toy or treat, my position of power was totally changed. Now I dictated where he focused, and therefore, where he sank his razor sharp teeth.
When I stopped feeling self pity about my situation and faced it head on, I was able to flip my position of weakness into a position of power. How can you do the same in your career? Is there a “disadvantage” you can choose to see as an opportunity? Hopefully no-one at work is threatening to bite you, though.