Five Tips For Holding Business And Yourself Together

Anyone in the audience when I have given my presentation, “Radical Resilience”, knows that I believe action is the antidote for anxiety. Sitting and stewing, muttering, and watching storm clouds, or pacing back and forth does nothing. When we begin to take control over even the smallest part of our life, we begin to gain a sense of forward momentum.

Consider these five tips—any of which can be started in small steps and increased as time and talent permit.

(1) Pitch out what doesn’t add value. Lean is NOT mean. Start with a file drawer, a computer folder, a closet, and yes—even your contact list. Everything that we hold on to that is obsolete, not useful, outdated takes up physical and emotional space. To let in the new, we’ve got the clear out the old. You might find—as I did—that cleaning up a database brings “old” client to mind. We had lost touch. I reconnected and have now renewed friendships and/or a client relationship. You might find great ideas that were not useful then but are very timely now. At the very least—the action of tossing away just lightens the load.

(2) Spend wisely. Think of everything in terms of “what will this do for my customer”. I have lost count of the number of businesses that have turned to automation or a third-party vendor and fired employees. On a P&L sheet, it might look great but the customer can suffer. I spent almost two hours trying to get tickets for a musical, being sent from link to link that was inactive. I finally got an email that informed me it was a third party handling the tickets and I’d have to wait until two hours before the show to download a QR code in order to enter the theater. GRRRRR.

(3) Follow your values and offer value for what you give. If an action goes against what you value, in the long run the price you pay will be far too high. I am not right for every client. Accepting work for the money rather than for the match will hurt both of us.

(4) Talk to your team and your customers. Better still: LISTEN. This is not the same as e-mail. Pick up the phone. Better still, meet face-to-face. Rally troops real time. We don’t feel the human support from a screen or a text message. Ideas can come from anywhere and anyone.

(5) Sullyize your workers. OK—I made up this word but perhaps it will catch on. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger was a masterful pilot who trained, and trained, and trained again. You don’t make that kind of water landing with no passengers lost in a two-minute timeframe without having practiced and trained. Yet—what do too many organizations do in these times? Cut training!! If you want employees to handle crises, you’ve got to train rigorously. Think customer service skills, leadership skills, clear communication skills. Responses can be second nature if training is diligent.

?2023, Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE

Eileen McDargh is the CEO of The Resiliency Group. She is an internationally recognized keynote speaker, master facilitator, and award-winning author with expertise in resiliency and leadership. The British research firm of Global Gurus International ranks her in the top five of the 30 Communication masters worldwide. Her articles have appeared in countless publications and two of her books have been awarded national recognition, including the Ben Franklin Gold Award.? Her eighth book is Burnout to Breakthrough: Building Resilience to Refuel, Recharge and Reclaim What Matters. You can learn more about her at https://www.EileenMcDargh.com .