In the fall of 2001, just after 9/11, I attended a workshop with Dan Sullivan, founder of Strategic Coach, an exclusive program for entrepreneurs. We were still rattled by the recent events of the Twin Towers and fearful of our future. Some students there witnessed that day in New York City. Listening to their stories of fear and chaos was gripping and remain clear in my memory. That workshop was entitled ‘The ‘Scary Times ‘Success Manual’; transforming current anxieties and fears into strategic growth, progress, and achievement.
I dusted this workbook off in 2008 during the financial meltdown. The workshop material provides hope and reassurance to us, as business owners and individuals, at all times of great uncertainty. My hope is that this material in this unsettling time may again be of use providing direction and focus.
The following is an abbreviated version of the contents of the workbook:
Before starting, I suggest you go through the following exercise:
FIRST: Identify 5 scary times, as entrepreneurs, you’ve encountered in the past.
SECOND: Attach dates to those times.
THIRD: Write down ‘the biggest lesson’ you learnt going through those times.
FINALLY: Ask yourself these questions 1] How is your business better today? 2] Did you develop new skills or capabilities? 3] Did you uncover a new way of looking at your business?
Apply the following strategies to your business now, that you may apply when once this period is over.
‘The Ten Strategies to Transform the Negativity of ‘Scary Times’ into Never-ending Opportunity’.
Strategy #1 Forget about yourself, focus on others.
When we become fearful, our tendency is to shut down and withdraw into ourselves. We feel isolated and helpless. This reaction will only worsen the situation. We are social creatures who thrive on connectivity with others.
Try being a source of confidence to other people. Reach out to family, friends, client, and other entrepreneurs and, in so doing, you will have the confidence you yourself need! Don’t talk about yourself or your business. Talk about them. Ask questions, listen.
Strategy #2 Forget about your commodity, focus on your relationships.
In scary times, we are frightened about the things we sell and jobs we offer others. A state of panic can set in. Instead, focus on those people who can most use our assistance. The more you focus on them, the more you will see ways to ensure your own security. Who are these people? They are your family, friends, team members, suppliers, clients, customers and prospects. Use this time to strengthen relationships. Every time you strengthen a relationship, the viability of your commodity will increase. Sullivan says those who always have the most secure jobs and most successful products are also those who essentially ignore their ‘commodities’, especially during ‘scary times’, and focus their energies on creating continual new value for all their personal and professional relationships.
What is now true today that wasn’t a week ago? People are available! They’ll pick up the phone, respond via internet, video conferencing!
Strategy #3 Forget about the sale, focus on creating value.
Most people don’t like being sold to at the best of times. When times are scary, they hang up the phone. What people want at all times is value creation. What can you do now to empower your employees to add value to others? How can they add extraordinary value, go above and beyond to create the best customer experience, and one that will endear that client/customer to you for life? What dangers/problems/opportunities do your customers/clients face that you can eliminate? What strengths do they have that need to be reinforced? In good times or in scary ones, everyone wants their dangers eliminated, opportunities captured, and strengths reinforced. How can you do that today? When your focus is on these solutions instead of on the product you offer, the sales will come.
Strategy #4 Forget about your losses, focus on your opportunities.
In scary times things you had and things you took for granted may have disappeared. Now is not the time to replay old games. Don’t belabor the bad times. Now is the time to shift gears, become creative and take action. How can you start an entirely new game? What will transform your current situation is a fresh attitude, outlook and strategy! How can you transform personal setbacks and failures into entirely new victories – much bigger than your past ones? A big opportunity is suddenly available now for achieving far more than you ever did in the past.
Strategy #5 Forget about your difficulties, focus on your opportunities.
Sullivan cites Israel as an example. Because of the constant dangers they face and because of their terrible history, Israelis are never certain about their future. But they are always striving to make individual and collective progress.
Difficulties of any kind are always a test of human character. They will either defeat you or reveal new strengths that you never knew you had. Your physical muscles always get stronger from working against resistance. The same is true for the muscles of your mind, your spirit and your character. Sullivan says one reason why Israelis survive and thrive is because as a people they are incredibly tough. They have had to develop psychological and emotional ‘muscles’ that other people in less difficult circumstances cannot comprehend.
Use the challenges you face today as an opportunity to make your greatest progress as a human being.
Strategy #6 Forget about the “future”, focus on today.
Sullivan shares the story of Harry Rosen, a renowned merchandiser of upscale men’s suits in Toronto who has been in business more than half a century. During this time Harry Rosen saw many downturns in the economy. Every time it happened, some of his competitors went out of business – yet he increased his market share.
How can you create value for other people today? What can you do today to establish lifetime relationships and a lifetime referral system? Let your focus be on what you can do in the course of each 24-hour period to become the only expert.
Strategy #7 Forget about who you were, focus on who you can be.
When bad things happen, many people are paralyzed. They lose their ability to deal with the present and to think about the future. All they can think about is what they used to have and who they used to be. When you stop trying to hold onto the past, something quite remarkable happens to your confidence. Whereas before you were feeling helpless, suddenly, all your power is restored to you. You ignore the circumstances and tap into your inner resources. You are able to use your creativity, abilities and emotions to create the best possible new circumstances for yourself.
Take advantage of the present external confusion to become self-directed, self-managed, and self-motivated.
Double down on your efforts to stay in touch. Now is a great time to introduce/expand upon digital capabilities.
Strategy #8 Forget about events, focus on your responses.
When things are going well, many people think they are actually in control of events. Often times, they are just fortunate. These people may not be able to transition to become fortunate again. Right now, to be in control and work smart you must focus your attention and energies on being creatively responsive to all the unpredictable events that lie ahead.
The most consistently successful people in the world know they can’t control events, but continually work to gain greater control over their creative responses to events. Right now, the predictability has gone out of our futures. We don’t know what the world will look like five years from now. Things are uncertain in many areas of personal and public life. The way to respond to this is to see it as a great opportunity – an opportunity to focus all of your attention, capabilities, and energies on being creatively responsive to all the unpredictable events that lie ahead. You can’t control the events; you can control your responses.
Strategy #9 Forget about what’s missing, focus on what’s available.
When things change for the worse, many desirable resources are missing. In the Oklahoma City bombing many things such as knowledge, tools, systems, personnel and capabilities were wiped out. A federal credit union manager was the only one in her branch to survive, yet the credit union re-opened within 24 hours under her direction. Although she was physically, emotionally and psychologically shaken she did not let those things get in the way of putting customers first. She called upon every available resource she knew to turn the story from disaster and tragedy to a miracle of human resilience and resourcefulness.
Sudden deficiencies can paralyze people who believe they can’t make decisions and take action. Don’t let this happen to you. What steps can you take now to work with every resource and opportunity at hand? How can you use those resources for immediate improvements and results? No matter how bleak a situation may seem, confidence can always be generated by setting goals for improvement, making decisions, taking action, being creative and resourceful and achieving some kind of immediate progress. This will move you forward. Your own determination and progress will quickly become contagious. It will be passed on to your friends, family, staff, customers.
Never allow yourself to be stopped by an apparent lack of resources or capabilities. You can always create new ones.
Perhaps now is the time to pursue those 5 ideas you had on the back burner. The things you did not have time for during your normal day to day operations.
Strategy #10 Forget about your complaints, focus on your gratitude.
Everyone has a choice: to complain or to be grateful, to make their lives better or worse. We probably all know someone who has suffered some type of disability and yet are some of the happiest, positive people we know. We’re told that pain can be lessened by thinking positive thoughts and that gratitude can be the positive thought that works best. Conversely, when we become angry or resentful or indulge in self-pity, the pain becomes unbearable. Many people today even without debilitating circumstances spend much of their time complaining. In doing so, they make their lives more miserable and compound their problems. Complaining is endlessly self-generating. Complaining only attracts even more negative thoughts and situations.
Focus on everything that you are grateful for, communicate this and open yourself each day to the best consequences. Lessen your pain by increasing your gratitude!
In Conclusion:
This too shall pass. What new competencies/ideas will you introduce?
Jan Wallace, Associate, ASE