We live in strange times and what worked 12-months ago in business might not work today. The pandemic has done nothing to level the playing field - all bets are off as to what it will take to be successful in life and business. We have seen nothing like this in our lifetime, so if you are going to survive, let alone thrive, you may want to revisit some of the basics.
If you haven't read Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers: The Story of Success, now may be the perfect time. If you have read it, consider re-reading it in light of the current economic situation. The book is full of great advice about how to be successful, but the 10,000 hour rule is a good place to start when thinking about how best to not only survive tough times but thrive in any conditions. Gladwell talks about a study done in the 1990s that discovered that elite musicians, the very best, had on average practiced for a total of 10,000 hours. More importantly, it found that prodigies (naturals) didn't become top players unless they practiced for that amount of time. What was interesting though, was that people who weren't prodigies (or naturals) were able to reach the top of their field if they did practice for that many hours.
Now, we aren't all going to devote that amount of time practicing the skills we need in business, but there are things that successful businesspeople (and people at large) do that help put the odds in their favour. So if you want to survive and thrive in trying times consider these seven tips.
Hard work – Following on Gladwell's theme, it goes to show that the more effort we put into something, the more likely we are to be successful.
Perseverance – When we are hit by a curveball, we have two choices; we can whine and give up, or we can redouble our efforts. The thing to remember is that if the curveball is also being thrown at your competitors, then let them whine while you step up to the plate!
Commitment – Redouble your commitment to success, to your employees, to your customers, to your business. Overcome your doubts by doubling down on your vision and plan for what is happening now, not what you had hoped it would be before the pandemic.
Consistency – During uncertain times your customers are going to want to work with companies that are showing steadfastness, reliability, and dependability. Assure your customers that you are there for them, and will be there for them, now and in the future.
Ingenuity – You can either follow the pack or you can trailblaze. When the world is changing at an uncontrollable pace it's not the time to hunker down and wait it out. Consider what the world is going to look like after the pandemic and plan for your business to still be relevant. Clue: If you think that everyone is going to flock back to bricks and mortar businesses and everything will magically go back to normal – think again.
Teamwork – Don't try to do it all yourself. Take a step back and look at what support you have, from employees, associates, advisers, friends, family, investors, customers, suppliers and anyone else you can think of that might help you in one way or another to survive and thrive. Use that support – going it alone is not heroic, it's daft!
Charm – These are stressful times and people are losing their cool all over the place. Everywhere you look there is tension; in stores, in schools, in politics, in hospitals, it's a tinder box out there. By being calm, rational, friendly and more importantly by being charming (an old word, maybe, but never underestimate its power). If two people want something from someone and both are polite, but only one is genuinely charming, who do you think is most likely to get what they want? It's human nature and in times of great stress, a little charm can go a very long way.
What do the seven points above have in common? They all require hard work; maybe not 10,000 hours but time spent focusing on your business at a time when so many of your competitors are losing their way. |