Handling Life’s Storms With a Positive Mindset

Monday, March 16, 2020
 
Whenever there is a national crisis, it is hard to know how to navigate the waters between preparation and panic. With every day, every newscast and every social media post- the concerns surrounding the Coronavirus health scare continue to rise. What can business leaders do to keep our teams together, calm the nerves of our clients and walk through this threat? Here are a few steps to help as we handle this together!
 
#1- KNOW & SHARE the FACTS
With so many different points of view, it is hard to discern fact from fiction. It doesn’t help that we are smack dab in the middle of a media frenzy and the political silly season! When we are working with the facts and we use our circle of influence to share it, we can stop the panic and work together to fix problems. Here are a couple of links to FACTUAL web sites that will help you learn the true statistics as well as what measures to take to help keep you well.
#2- STAY CALM
Everything gets WORSE when we panic!! AND- it is harder to do the things we need to do when we are not approaching the situation calmly. There are lots of ramifications from things like school closures, event cancellations, fear-based decisions, fear of flying and the list goes on. When we are STRESSED and WORRIED, our brains are not focused on the solutions and may have an even harder time identifying what the next right step should be. When we take a breath and step back, we can look at the entire situation and begin the process of doing what business leaders and owners do- SOLVE PROBLEMS- we are WIRED for this!
 
#3- TAKE PROACTIVE MEASURES
It is easy to find yourself in a reactive situation- as soon as you notice it- STOP! Begin looking for the ways you CAN make a difference and control the things you CAN control. We cannot control what our city, state, or national leaders do but we have tons of control over what we do and what we have our teams do in a time of crisis. You’ve already shared the facts, you are operating calmly and now you are ready to assess your business and take proactive measures. Here are a few tips!
    • Get Lean- make sure you have your eyes on your financials and tighten your belt. Strong businesses know where they stand financially and use tough times as an extra opportunity to make sure they are fiscally strong.
    • Keep It Clean- assure your clients that you are taking every measure to keep them safe! If you provide in-home or in-office services, be sure to tell your clients about your actions so they are not worried about having you in their space!
    • Find Ways To Serve- if you and your team are concerned so are your clients. Can you provide the factual information you share with your team? Can you provide more service than you are paid to do?
    • Use Any Possible Slow Times to Your Advantage- if things do slow down, look for ways to improve processes, streamline communications, upgrade systems & refresh your workspace. Slowdowns are a great time to improve!
    • Support Your Local Businesses- Look for ways to support the other local businesses in your community- we are a FORCE to be reckoned with and when we combine our resources to support each other- we are unstoppable. When you are proactive, you build confidence and put yourself in the position to turn any situation into a winning one for you and your team.
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we have a responsibility to our communities to walk through challenges in the most powerful way possible. 
  • Knowing the Facts helps us act responsibly and take care of those around us.
  • Staying Calm helps to minimize FEAR and adds confidence to our team.
  • Taking Proactive Measures lets us control what we can and strengthen our businesses as much as we can in a time of crisis.
Cheri Perry 3/16/2020