Ideas, Appreciation, and Frustration

If you are working for an organization, you may often find yourself giving suggestions to the company. In fact, the management of every company may expect its employees to provide them with ideas. But there may be occasions when the company or your boss appears to ignore your ideas. This may lead to frustration. It is true such situations may be mind-dulling. So, you may even think that you should stop giving suggestions or ideas. Is this the right reaction? Is your frustration justified? What should you do if the management does not appear to consider your ideas? Let us find out.

Experience, Expertise, and Ideas.

You may have lots of experience under your belt. Similarly, you may be an expert in the field in which your company is operating. Therefore, you may justifiably assume that your ideas are good. But this is not only a naive assumption but over-simplification as well. Further, it is a fundamental misconception if you think that your ideas automatically qualify for the "brilliant" tag just because you have rich experience and you are an expert in the field. Remember that in the present-day context, dignity, appreciation, or laurels are not automatic rights anymore. You cannot get them by applying subtle or visible pressure also. 

Similarly, the management doesn't need to consider your ideas just because you have put in a lot of effort for conceptualizing them. The point is that your management or that of any company will take into account several other factors as well before choosing ideas for implementation. You may perhaps be not aware of some of those factors. Therefore, crying foul or blaming your management for not considering your ideas is not right. It is not right also to assume that the management doubts your capability.

If you get angry over the management because your ideas have not been considered or if you get caught in what is called the "appreciation trap," it shows that you fail to control your emotions or influence your mind, not to talk of influencing others. You don't need to be a university graduate to understand that no one can make you frustrated, angry, miserable, or unhappy unless you allow it. This again means that you should check whether you are responding rationally or reacting emotionally to situations. 

Responding and reacting to situations or circumstances are not the same. Mentally mighty folks control their emotions and behaviors. If you succeed in this step, it can be said that you are on the path of learning to respond rationally and applying your wisdom to the circumstances or situations you face. Otherwise and if you react, you allow yourself to be controlled by situations or circumstances. Of course, you will find that reacting to situations is easier and quicker. 

In the former, you can turn even a negative or a potentially negative situation into a positive one. This will benefit not only you but everyone involved as well. You will be a relaxed person because you are aware that you can handle any situation, however difficult it may be. This will significantly boost your self-confidence as well. Never forget the fact that you can derive self-respect or dignity only from your within and not from external sources. Looking for them from external sources is self-delusion of the ultimate form. 

Of course, in the initial stages, there may be lapses and slips in your efforts to control your emotions or behaviors but since you have started practicing rational responsiveness, you will be able to analyze your mistakes and make course-corrections.

So, the only way to develop responsiveness to difficult situations is to practice till you reach a reasonable level of capability in this skill. This will help in constantly bettering yourself whatever may be the situations you face at your workplace. This includes instances when your management does not consider your ideas or suggestions. At the same time, understand that developing rational responsiveness is not enough; you should consistently and willingly blend it with your efforts to hone your skills and improve your knowledge as well.