It has become a cliché amongst business coaches in these COVID days that we all have to prepare for a new “normal”. The latest is that we have to prepare for the “abnormal” to become the norm.
We have heard predictions that things will never be the same again. It is also said that the only businesses who will survive, will be those who accept Benjamin Franklin’s statement as the truth: Change is the only constant. This implies that only those who adapt will exist with and beyond COVID-19.
There are businesses that have decided to throw in the towel. They assume that, since the crisis came from an external event, a change in circumstance will be the only lifeline that could rescue them. Let’s call them the Victims.
Then there are those who chose to re-invent themselves. They look inward for a solution and embrace the fact that they do have a role to play in rewriting their own futures. Let’s call them the Divers. They know that they can swim and are prepared to take a dive into an unknown pool, numbing their own fears of uncertainty.
Business coaches across the world, are teaching people how to become Divers. They share examples of businesses who have successfully changed their mindsets by thinking out of the box. Like the pizzeria owner who sat down and focussed on what he had available in his business. At the top of his list was his pizza oven, which could not at present be used for pizza making – but it could be used for materials that needed high heat. The result? He turned his business into a plastic mask manufacturing plant.
How did Mr Pizzeria Owner become a Diver?
- By turning his focus to what he had instead of what he was lacking.
- By refusing to give in to his fears – which meant suppressing all negative and debilitating fearful thoughts.
- By looking at what the world needed at the moment.
- By believing in his own creativity and survival skills.
- By embracing change and pushing through.
There are endless examples of Divers, even in these challenging times. Other valuable tips from business coaches and Divers are:
Use these days to make personal contact with your clients and your suppliers. Don’t sell to them, just check-in and find out how they are – preferably with a phone call. Try it and see how they appreciate your care in tough times. As a bonus, you will be building credibility and you can be sure that they will remember you in days to come.
Divers also watch their opposition and prepare for the unlocking. When the gates open, they are ready to hit the ground running. Are you ready?
