Month: November 2020

5 Tips on “Re-Engineering” Your Business

The COVID-19 pandemic has left every business and business owner in new, uncharted territory. The aftershock of this pandemic has left many business owners facing one harsh reality: Businesses will never operate the same. When these partial lockdowns are lifted and people begin to shop normally again, there will be a heavy emphasis on safety. Which means your business is going to have to re-engineer itself.

Here are five tips to help you smooth that transition.

1. Identify Your Experience

While the personal effects of COVID-19 are felt by almost everyone, the lingering effects on businesses aren’t. As a leader, it’s important, now more than ever, for you to lead by example. Your employees should understand that the way the business operates may never be the same and that these changes may be a good thing.

2. Consider the Constraints

Risk management is a crucial part of any successful business. Map out constraints the safety concerns are imposing on your business’s process, product, and experience. This will help you better understand the problems your business is facing and how you work around them.

3. Imagine New Ways to Overcome

Now that you have identified the struggles you may face, it’s time to figure out how to work around these roadblocks. Think of this situation, not as a burden, but as an opportunity for growth. How can your business take advantage of the situation and turn it into a positive? Are there any new markets or processes that could work?

4. Reassemble Your Process and Test

Implement these changes you have brainstormed and test them out to verify its effectiveness. Given the circumstances, this may be difficult, but it’s a critical part of the process. Going into new endeavors completely blind is a risk that can be entirely avoided.

5. Remember That Re-Engineering Drives Progress

As mentioned earlier, try not to view these circumstances as an unmovable roadblock. Re-engineering in the face of uncertain times is often the catalyst for innovation and progress. In fact, a number of companies have innovated and found success in the face of this pandemic. Re-engineering your business for safety can benefit your business greatly in the long run.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

Leadership and Anxiety

Recent events have lead many of us to realize just how fragile the ground we stand on is. As a leader, it’s hard not to find yourself anxious over the uncertainty every day brings. It’s even harder to find the strength to lead by example while your mind and heart are racing. Here are some ways you can combat your anxiety while still showing the strength and authority necessary to lead.

Don’t Run From Your Emotions 

The worst thing you can do to your anxiety is to pretend that it doesn’t exist. In order to combat it, you must first accept the fact that you’re dealing with anxiety. No one has to hear you say it, but saying it to yourself can be therapeutic for some.

After you have identified your anxiety, you can play the role of detective. Search your feelings to try and pinpoint the root cause of your anxiety. Are you worried about not being prepared for a big pitch or are you worried about something out of your control?

Rationalize With Yourself 

When we’re anxious about what the future holds for us, it’s easy to find ourselves stuck in a negative thought loop that prevents us from moving forward. To combat this, one must sort out the probable from the possible. Doing so will help prevent feeling anxious about things beyond one’s control.

Try to avoid thinking in absolutes. While it’s possible that a pandemic wipes out everything that we love, it’s highly improbable that it happens. Don’t be afraid to recruit help from people you trust. Conversations with these people can help us differentiate what is likely to unfold from what is a long shot.

Take Steps to Reduce Anxiety

The best way to reduce anxiety is to control what you can. If you’re worried about not being ready for a big pitch, structure your time properly so you can better prepare. Being organized has a massive positive impact on mental health.

When you begin to feel anxious, an immediate task can easily become overwhelming. Even regular mundane activities can leave you feeling like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Take small, meaningful actions that will help you ease your mind until the panic subsides.

Traveling in uncharted waters, like many of us are now, can lead to warranted anxiety and panic. It can be difficult to lead during bouts of anxiety. Taking a step back, diagnosing your anxiety, and taking small but meaningful actions can help you regain control of your situation.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.

How To Make Learning Apart Of Your Company Culture

We no longer operate in a static work environment. The world surrounding us is changing every day and so are businesses. The businesses that change with the world are the ones that survive. This is why learning should be engrained in your companies culture. Here are some ways you can successfully make learning a part of your companies culture.

Lead By Example

Cultural changes are spearheaded by those at the top. Leaders must inspire and encourage others within their organizations to pursue learning. In order to do that, leaders must fully embrace learning themselves.

The most successful leaders lead by example and it’s no different with learning initiatives. Your colleagues should be able to follow you on your daily learning journey, picking up valuable lessons along the way.

Those in your organization will be inspired by how much you value learning.

Build an Environment of Continued Learning

While it’s important to build a culture of learning, you want to be sure that it’s not a one and done type of thing. You don’t want your colleagues to learn about one subject and then go back to life as normal. You want to build an environment that encourages people to build on the things they’ve learned and to continue learning.

Your number one goal should be to build a democratic learning environment. Anyone who wants to learn should have that opportunity, every day. This means providing them with the resources they need to build skills that will help them throughout their careers.

Create a Learning Network

While great leaders lead by example, they can’t be the only person dedicated to learning. In order for a learning environment to succeed, there must be a network of like-minded ambassadors at every level. These ambassadors can be found at every level and can inspire and encourage their co-workers.

Strive to reach the point where you expect your employees to seek out learning experiences on a daily basis. Strive to reach the point where learning becomes so engrained in your companies’ culture that it almost happens completely unnoticed. By building a foundation of learning from the ground-up, your company can be full of like-minded learners.

Emphasizing the importance of learning in the workplace will help your company tenfold. Learning inspires growth and innovation. As a leader, do everything that you can to implement a culture of learning.

We would love to hear your comments on this article or any of our latest articles.

Gary Brunson
gary@myclearfocus.com

Debra Rider
debra@myclearfocus.com

574.361.2674

Sustainable Growth & Profit Consultant, Coach, Mentor and Counselor/Therapist for Business Owners and Professionals.