I am a runner, not a fast runner, but I run. Running is fairly new to me and it is fair to say I have a love/hate relationship with it. There are days when it hurts and I curse all the way around, but there are other days when the mental space I get when running brings a real feeling of liberation! 

I was thinking about this today when out running and it occurred to me that running is so like running a business, managing a new business challenge or learning a new skill, such as those new to Line Management for example and here’s why.

Starting off on your journey and taking those initial steps feels so positive and you feel so good about what you are doing. But then the pain can kick in……..and it hurts! At this point you tap into your resilience and you keep focused on what you are trying to achieve. 

You get into your stride and all is going well but then you get to a hill. It may be a small hill which you tackle with ease (albeit left a bit short of breath!), or it may have a steeper incline and you need to refocus and dig deep to get to the top. There may even be a need to slow down or walk for a bit, to ensure that you maintain your momentum. When you’ve conquered the hill it feels great, especially as you pick up some speed running back down the other side. But then there’s hill number 2. Like any challenge in the workplace, you know the hills will be there, but you sort of hope you’ll get home without having to do any more of them! 

Occasionally there will be a very ‘left field’ obstacle to deal with. A couple of weeks ago I was stung by a wasp whilst out and a reasonable distance from home. I had no phone with me (the downside of achieving the mental space!) and therefore had to quickly think of different approaches to deal with the issue I had.

So, if you’re a business owner, learning a new skill, developing in a new role or simply pounding the streets to manage your fitness and stress, remember that there will always be hills and wasps on your journey! At times they will challenge you and may even make you wonder why you do what you do, but remember there is a reason why you do what you do, the greater good of your journey! 

Sitrus Consulting offers support with all of the HR ‘hills’ and ‘wasps’ that you may encounter. If you need support, give us a call on 01625 428926.