Turning Frustration Into Solutions

Do you ever get frustrated? Probably a silly question. But have you ever considered that from frustration a better or more ideal solution is found? Recently I got frustrated because one of my colleagues didn't provide a progress report to me on a project I delegated to her. As I thought about the situation and muttered to myself, "I should have just done it myself," I realized I probably wasn't clear about my expectations. The frustration I was experiencing made me think more deeply and I discovered a better way to manage the situation in the future. Often frustration is created from unmet expectations. Frustrations arise when we don't articulate our expectations clearly and without frustration we may not raise the bar on our collective performance.

In the moment, frustration is annoying at a minimum, and potentially the source of failed relationships in the extreme. However, frustration motivates problem-solving, leading to defined expectations and ultimately delivering a better solution.