Problems at work tend to be repetitive. No one complains because their boss was angry one time or a colleague failed to pitch in once. The next time you’re in a familiar noxious work setting where someone is doing the same thing as usual, try something different: improvise. Break the routine. For example, if you have an employee who’s chronically late to meetings and reprimanding her in the past hasn’t solved the problem, the next time she’s late, stop the meeting and praise her for all that she’s doing right. Everyone will be caught off guard, and it may actually resolve the problem once and for all. By introducing an unfamiliar dynamic, you encourage your counterpart to respond differently in turn.
Adapted from "To Fix a Chronic Problem, Try Winging It," by Michael Lipson
