The 3 stages of Commercial Crisis and How to Survive

For Business Owners.

If you’ve heard my Keynote, “The Magnificence of Humanity” you will know that I have spent the last 15 years of my life distilling the lessons I have learned about human nature in the face of adversity. It brings together my experience as an award winning business owner, my experience as a Boxing Day Tsunami survivor, and everything I have digested, distilled and designed since which includes the suite of analysis tools that help me to share my findings.

In my keynote I state that when we have a common enemy, it is our opportunity to realise collaboration on a level that we have not previously dared imagine. OK, I use the far-fetched example of an alien attack, but a global virus is exactly such an enemy.

This is no Coronavirus-opportunistic-bandwagon-jumping article. This is my life’s work. But sitting here contemplating how best to deliver it, is not helping anyone, so I’m practising what I preach and sharing my expertise with no embarrassment of the commercials.

STAGE 1 - FEAR.

This is the first stage and one that is essential for us to get through swiftly. Fear is not universal, but it can be disguised in many forms. It can be displayed with anger, desperation, panic or a need to be saved.

When you hear such phrases on the news from business owners, as “We have been left high and dry.” Or “There’s no help available” or “Why aren’t WE getting bailed out?”

Or in conversation; “This is unfair” “I want a refund!” “I’m not going to cooperate!”

Or actions such as hoarding, squabbling or fighting (This can be on social media as well as in person.) This is all FEAR.

We must let go of that and understand that when we are all in the same situation, it’s a level playing field. Competitiveness is futile, as is staying in a place of woe or despair. When applying positivity this can actually be a liberating experience.

STAGE 2 - REALISATION.

This is when we re-discover skills that we may rarely use. These things may be incredibly important in our new situation. Whenever I conduct an exercise on this subject, we uncover a vast array of incredible talents that we have acquired and possibly filed away, because they are not required in our everyday lives. This is an individual responsibility, not a collective one. It is the stage of empowerment and growth. 

Having immersed myself in learning more about human behaviour and communication I created two analysis tools that help people to reach their inner magnificence. I believe the current situation is the perfect time for our personal and people development. We can become aligned with what really motivates us through “Essence” – my Core Values analysis, which creates flow of energy and reduces stress. It's incredibly powerful to feel connected to your identity and realise WHY you do the things you do and many of my clients say this analysis is what enabled that. When we work against our core values, it's like we are wading through mud; it takes so much more energy and effort and we are not fulfilled in the same way. When we work in alignment with them we unleash energy which increases productivity and performance. We can realise our prominent qualities, understand how others may perceive us, and be empowered to shine with “Clarity” my Behaviour profile. This profile helps us to understand others and understand how to communicate differently in order to build rapport.

(My third analysis, The People Reader, is a unique tool used to help those who are client facing to build deeper rapport. It really does give people an unfair advantage.)

THIS IS NO TIME TO HIDE OUR LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL!

We must have the confidence to shine and to bring that light to the collective which brings us onto the final stage.

STAGE 3 - COLLABORATION.

When we have a common enemy, a common goal and we know what skills we are bringing to the collective, we can collaborate effectively. This is the stage where our MAGNIFICENCE can be realised.

We have seen snippets of this throughout our lives, in the face of adversity, terrorist attacks or natural disaster. Being involved in it is like touching an incredible power and it brings with it an enlightenment.

In the aftermath of the tsunami, I felt like I suddenly understood what connects people at a deeper level. I felt comradery like I never had. I realised how adversity can bring people together with an unbreakable and everlasting bond.

For me, it came when we raised ￡8.6 Billion in donations as a race. More than ￡1 per person alive on this planet, and it felt like the world was vibrating with collaborative compassion. Once experienced, it is unforgettable and addictive. This is why I spend my life helping people to collaborate effectively.

But how do we relate our business in this current situation, to what happened during the biggest natural disaster in our living history?

Well, when we collaborate effectively, we have no real concept of the sheer power at our disposal.When we get it right, we can create something bigger than the sum of its parts. There is a previous article on my LinkedIn profile about an “Overtone” in Barbershop and it is featured in my talks. The example I use is of a four-part harmony singing group. In the video, they create a note that is not sung by any single person but can be heard ringing over the notes that are being sung. From the amalgamation of those notes, we create the overtone. This is how I demonstrate how we can physically create something that is indeed “more than the sum of its parts.”

We have never yet been tested to our full extent, as a race. I don’t think we will be for a while, but this recent pandemic is surely a taste of things to come.

So we need to get AGILE! FLEXIBLE! "BOUNCABLE!" If are businesses are to survive.

TAKE ACTION.

I urge you to make sure that your organisation uses this downtime well. Be prepared for the day that some sense of normality can resume and be ready to hit the ground running.

You can EMPOWER your people NOW!

They can complete the analyses online, they can have the consultation over the phone, online or by video. Enable them to be ready for the collaboration that your business will need in order to get back to full health.

Let’s learn from this so that next time we can move through the first and the second stage of any Commercial Crisis swiftly.

Call me to create your survival strategy and learn how to bounce. 0121 796 4035 or 07748 755360