To be shaken and not stirred in a crises - published on Brand Berries

When Sir Sean Connery recently turned 90, social media was abuzz wishing him well and discussing the evergreen topic if he was the best Bond ever. He was to me. But one trait which struck me about the character of the world’s most famous spy was the unique style of drinking his martinis – shaken and not stirred – and the meaning of the same when used as a metaphor for all of us managing the single biggest crisis in history. 

With marketing and advertising investments being the first cut taken in most organizations, we see a free fall of budgets and sadly even talent as many businesses are forced to conserve costs and profits, albeit at the cost of curtailing the brand’s communication and engagement with its customers. It is heartbreaking to see millions being being laid off and struggling to find a job. And worse, all students entering the industry in such times after years of hard work and investment. Managing one’s mental health has become the single biggest priority in these challenging times. 

All those who have had long careers have also had their fair share of peaks and valleys. When failures become your best friend, then success becomes your worst enemy, right? For sure, failures have been a constant companion all my life with a big one seeming to hit me every ten years. But what followed were successes, some of them stupendous by the sheer scale and impact of my work, made to the business and in the market. 

But when the cycle becomes more frequent, it can be quite hard to take. For me the last two blows came within the last 12 months. The first when my prolific full time role came to a sudden end in August ‘19. And the arrival of COVID 19 6 months later, just when I was finding the first wave of success with my consulting and teaching career. But, with the grace of the Lord, the support of my family and help from few good friends in the industry, found the needed strength and ability to persist and fight through the worst months of the pandemic. 

To look at the glass half full, its been a busy period, where I threw myself at every possible opportunity to learn, teach, speak, write and consult. And while the value of all efforts in terms of earnings isn’t much, the experience and learning has been priceless. We are still not out of the woods, but what the past 6 months have taught me will be be etched in me forever. 

Here are my top 5 learnings of how to overcome a crisis:

Accept Not Refuse: Many of us find it hard to accept changes and continue to either reject or refuse the new status. The longer one takes to acknowledge and move on, the harder the fall and slower the recovery. It’s a mental block caused by ego and is the first step to overcoming any crisis. And only a honest reflection of one’s self will lead to actions which will help overcome the crisis during this stage of self-realization.

Yes To Self-Worth. No To Ego: Realizing one’s self-worth and building self confidence plays a big role at this stage of recovery. Most failures have really nothing to do with us, our talent or our abilities. This is the time for not being too hard on oneself. Building resistance with a strong mental state to fight oneself out of a crisis is key. Faith and prayers help. So does positive people and their energy. But nothing can replace a great amount of effort and hard work to get back on ones feet and doing what is needed. 

Unlearn To Learn: For me, this is the clincher. To have a ‘student for life’ mindset and attitude to always keep learning is important to bounce back to success. Many of us get caught in the comfort of our jobs and are quite unaware of the fast pace of change happening outside our 4 walls in terms of industry evolving and the consequent demands for skills and experience for professionals seeking jobs of tomorrow. Hence the need to realise the gaps and invest time and money to learn and upskill is imperative. Every crisis throws an opportunity, so maybe its time to shift your career, pursue a passion or just find an occupation you are best at. The ability to unlearn, adapt and change is critical to find success. 

Brand Vs Commodity: How many of us have transformed ourselves from being a commodity to a the brand? Did we ever consider to brand and market ourselves to stand out from the clutter and own a voice of our own? This pandemic has certainly forced many to ask these questions. Personal branding is a fascinating topic that come in handy in these times. To apply branding and marketing techniques we have learned and practiced on oneself, ask the WHY and create an identity is what will speed up the path to recovery. 

The Eject In Reject: Just like ‘impossible’ has a ‘possible’ in it, ‘reject’ has an ‘eject’ in it. Rejection will be experienced often in hard times. But the ability to eject oneself from a ‘failed’ state of mind is important. The phase of going-to-market with an up skilled, branded you, with new purpose, full of optimism and confidence can do wonders. Your energy and enthusiasm can be infectious and then onwards its only a matter of time before success finds you. 

So, to be shaken out of our comfort zone is good. But to build resilience and courage of not getting stirred in the process, will separate the men from the boys. Go, and get the license to conquer! Remember – luck favors the brave’. 

- Shyam Sunder, Brand Marketing & Communications Consultant. Keen to transform your business? Write to me at [email protected]