With every crisis you work through and overcome, you increase your value as an employee.

In a perfect world, there would be no computer crashes, no conflicts with irksome coworkers, no dissatisfied customers, no missed paychecks. Everything at work would go smoothly, free of stress.

Such a workplace doesn’t exist, of course. Unexpected problems are a fact of life. Yet you can soften your experience of these setbacks—and become more indispensable to your employer—by adjusting how you view and respond to them.

Instead of reacting to a crisis at work with full-blown fear, anger, or paralysis, try a more positive approach. Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D., author of Want It, See It, Get It! Visualize Your Way to Success, offers this advice for when things go wrong.

• Give the situation some space. Once you have anxiety or other emotions out of the way, you can find solutions more easily.

  “You might begin by taking some time for yourself to think things through, and relax,” she suggests.

• Break the cycle of negativity by doing some positive self-talk.

  “Think back to things you’ve enjoyed or feel gratitude for,” Scott suggests. “Talk to yourself as you would to a friend: ‘Things are going to be OK.’ Remind yourself of your past accomplishments and that you have the power to find a solution.”

• Look at the experience as a message bearer. If your computer repeatedly crashes, for example, you might see this as a sign that it’s time to get a new one.

  Suppose a big sale falls through with one of your clients. It could be a sign that this is not the product you should be selling right now, or that you should seek a new approach.

  “Don’t beat yourself up about the situation,” Scott insists. “Rather, accept it as a reality, and notice the opportunities that may accompany it. Ask yourself ‘What’s holding me back from overcoming my obstacles?’ ”

• Imagine the possibilities. Take a mental journey. Allow pictures to form in your head. Write down all the potential ways you might do something differently. From this creative brainstorming session, develop a realistic, step-by-step approach toward achieving your goals.
• Visualize success. Once you’ve imagined all your possibilities and determined a realistic plan of action, you can visualize yourself having accomplished your goal. See yourself getting along famously with your boss. See yourself promoted to the position you’ve always wanted.

  “Keep this image in your mind,” Scott suggests. “Some people make a picture map and post it where they can see it to serve as a reminder of what they want to achieve.”

• Take steps to get what you want. Now that you’ve determined a realistic goal and have visualized achieving it, you can start taking the steps necessary to get there. The first step might be as simple as blocking out some possible vacation time on your schedule, inviting your coworker out for coffee, or making an appointment with the sales manager to discuss your promising new ideas.

When you modify your approach toward workplace setbacks in this way, you’ll feel better, Scott says. Your world still won’t be perfect, but you’ll be moving it forward in beneficial ways rather than remaining mired in a cycle of anger, regret, or confusion.

“You’ll be easier to work with, too, because people will sense your positive attitude,” she says.

Every crisis brings opportunity, Scott reminds.

“When someone keeps using old systems after the rules have changed, opportunities pass them by,” she says. “Think of yourself as being like a computer that needs upgrading every few years. With each setback you work through and overcome, you’re constantly upgrading yourself.”

Polly Turner spoke with Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D., author of Want It, See It, Get It! Visualize Your Way to Success, AMACOM, 2009, $15.

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