1397: Piercing the Mist: Five Ways to Overcome the “Fog of War” at Work by Laura Stack of The Productivity Pro

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Work Daily, Episode 1397. Piercing the Mist, Five Ways to Overcome the Fog of War at Work by Laura Stack of TheProductivityPro.com. And I am Dan, I'm your personal narrator here. Welcome

[00:00:14] to OWD and I'm going to keep this intro nice and short for you today on this Sunday. So with that, let's get to our post and optimize your life. Piercing the Mist, Five Ways to Overcome the Fog of War at Work by Laura Stack of TheProductivityPro.com.

[00:00:36] Human spirit is the ability to face the uncertainty of the future with curiosity and optimism. It is the belief that problems can be solved, differences resolved. It is a type of confidence. Bernard Beckett, New Zealand author. Writers often compare business to a competition or

[00:00:56] to war itself, the ultimate competition. I've done it myself many times for good reason. In business as in war, you're competing with others for limited resources. If you're able to secure those resources long term, you can thrive. Business is less rough on its contestants and

[00:01:12] civilians than war but it can be just as ruthless in its way. Carving out a market share and then holding it against all commerce isn't easy. It requires constant work and a steady resolve. So it's no wonder so many military terms have drifted into the business vernacular.

[00:01:26] One term that hasn't been overused, unlike some, is Fog of War. The term was coined in 1873 by Klaus von Klauswitz and warriors the world over immediately realized its brilliance. Even in today's modern electronic warfare, the uncertainty of situational awareness limits

[00:01:43] the warrior's ability to plan in advance. You can't see everything on the board at once, not all the troops, not the entire lay of the land, nor the opponent's gambit and often night or

[00:01:53] weather including actual fog limits an army's ability to execute much less plan. The same is true in business where it's not always possible to know what the competition or your leaders have in mind. Despite a clearer view than ever before, white collar workers still suffer from the

[00:02:09] Fog of War, not least within their own organizations. Try these techniques to pierce the mist. One. Strive for transparency. Transparency within the organization allows you to more easily see the value of your work and how it helps move everyone forward, but it also gives you a high

[00:02:26] level forward thinking view of where everyone is going. So in some ways you can see over the fog. This is crucial to productivity, not least because it's based on trust. Team members and teams must trust that everyone's going in the same direction based on best knowledge

[00:02:42] of the business environment. Typically, there's no need for compartmentalization unless you're a military or part of an agent of change type of organization like Apple or Microsoft. Even then a good faith effort to remain personally transparent and to ask your own leaders to

[00:02:56] be as transparent as they can helps everyone. Two. Maintain up-to-date training and equipment. The better prepared you are, the farther you can see through the fog. If something emerges, you're much more likely to handle it effectively if you've trained for just about

[00:03:10] everything you can expect, you get regular updates, and your knowledge and equipment help you reframe whatever problems you encounter into solvable challenges. Three. Act decisively and focus on outcomes. Even when you lack all the information, make the best possible decisions

[00:03:27] based on what you know and don't waffle. It's easier to shed the uncertainty inherent in decision-making if you focus on your desired outcomes and shoot for them. You may suffer failures on the way, but don't fixate upon them. Use failures as teaching moments,

[00:03:42] not as hindrances to further productivity. Keep moving toward the outcomes you want most. Four. Study the business landscape and climate. Keep up with your competitors' actions, noting not just what they do right so you can emulate it, but what they do wrong

[00:03:57] so you can avoid it. Careful examination of the landscape can also help you recognize what's coming over the horizon, from new technology to new legislation, so you can take advantage of or avoid it. And five. Don't wait for the leader to tell you what to do.

[00:04:12] You might think you should leave piercing the fog of war to your leaders, but anyone can contribute. Case in point, in September 1862, upon occupying a Maryland Meadow Confederate troops had recently used as a campground, two NCOs of the 27th

[00:04:27] Indiana Regiment discovered a copy of Confederate battle plans for the region. It swiftly made it up the chain of command to General George McClellan, who responded sluggishly. The Battle of Antietam followed the bloodiest day of the American Civil War with 23,000 casualties.

[00:04:42] Strategically a Union victory, it proved tactically inconclusive. Imagine what might have happened if McClellan had struck quickly when he had a clear tunnel through the literal fog of war. The war might have ended years earlier, with tens of thousands of American lives saved.

[00:04:58] Who knows how you and your organization may profit if you take the steps necessary to pierce the fog of war for the benefit of everyone you work with. You just listened to the post titled, Piercing the Mist, Five Ways to Overcome the Fog of War

[00:05:15] at Work by Laura Stack of theProductivityPro.com. This show is sponsored by Better Help. Do you ever find yourself getting caught up in comparison, seeing the successes of others and wishing your life looked the same? If so, then you know how difficult it can be to manage these

[00:05:31] feelings. Therapy can help you focus on what you want instead of what others have, so you can start living your best life. And therapy is for everyone. Even if you have an experience to major trauma, it's a great place to learn positive coping skills, boundary setting,

[00:05:45] and personal empowerment, which can have an amazing impact on both your personal and professional life. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give Better Help a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire

[00:06:01] to get matched with a licensed therapist and switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Stop comparing and start focusing with Better Help. Visit betterhelp.com workdaily today to get 10% off your first month. That's Better Help, H-E-L-P dot com slash workdaily.

[00:06:20] And thank you so much to Laura who is an award-winning keynote speaker and the best-selling author of eight books. Her engaging personality combined with over 25 years of experience helping organizations achieve great results have made her one of the most sought after

[00:06:33] experts and keynote speakers in her field. Laura has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes Magazine among many others. She's also been a spokesperson for Microsoft, Danon, 3M, Office Depot, and Xerox. And if that wasn't enough,

[00:06:49] her client list includes top Fortune 500 companies like Starbucks, Walmart, Bank of America, GM, and many more, and government agencies like the Air Force Academy, the Census Bureau, and the IRS. So there's a lot to learn from her and you can check it all out by visiting

[00:07:04] theproductivitypro.com there you can find her videos, books, store, newsletter, and blog. Again, that's the productivitypro.com. And that is going to do it for today's episode. I thank you

[00:07:16] for being a part of it and for being a subscriber or follower of the show on your podcast app. That really helps us out and it helps to keep this show going. So thanks again and I will see you right back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.