Why Does This Always Happen To Me?!

If you catch yourself saying this a little too often, you might need to ask if you’re operating at Cause or Effect. The Think@Lean In group met up with Sheila Singam of Human Equation for an afternoon to understand our Spiritual Quotient. In the process, we learned when we operate at Cause, we operate from an empowered state and when we operate at Effect, we operate at a disempowered and helpless state.

It boils down to the questions we ask ourselves. Let’s say you have ventured into sales and you’re not very good at it and don’t have much “luck” closing deals. Operating at Effect, you will say things like “I don’t think I am cut out for this” or “There I go again losing deals” or words to that effect, pun intended. The statements from operating at Effect doesn’t allow further questions to get to solutions. These become conclusive and definite statements

Operating at Cause, you will say things like “How can I get better at this?” or “Am I cut out for this?” or “What do great sales people have that I don’t have?” Operating at Cause allows for questions and statements with the aim to get to possible solutions.

“How can I get better at this?” would lead to strategies to increase the number of sales calls, better scripts for cold calls or better pitches and the list goes on. “Am I cut out for this?” may lead to thoughts to whether you are better molded to be in sales or another career path. “What do great sales people have that I don’t have?” could lead to some research on some techniques developed by great salespeople either though talks or books.

Operating at Cause allows you to take more steps and operating at Effect puts everything to a standstill. Where do you want to operate from?