How to – Thrive in Tough Times Unless you’ve been meditating on the top of a mountain or hibernating in a cave, you are all too well aware of the economic situation in our country and around the world. It’s hard to get through a news cycle without hearing about how hard it is, how challenging it will be, and how more bad news is expected.

You can join in, wring your hands, and bemoan the current situation. Many people are doing exactly that. Or you can behave in ways that bring an upbeat energy to your work and your employees, and may bring business through your doors.


Internal Audit
First you need to review what you are thinking and how it is being translated into the words you speak. If enough people talk about how awful things are in the marketplace, then it not only becomes more of an awful marketplace, but everyone is focused on how bad it is. If you are focused on the negative, it will take you that much longer to recognize anything that may be positive. You can’t change the news being reported, but you can control how much you listen to it. Although you may not be able to get a handle on how concerned you are, you don’t have to be talking about it all the time. Pay attention to the words you speak. Your colleagues, employees and customers are listening.


Other Action Items
Additional things to do when times are challenging:

• Find a consultant, coach, mentor, or business guru who can offer you support and a different view on how to run a business, or identify alternative strategies and goals.

• Volunteer to sit on a panel, speak, or join a committee to provide some additional and fresh exposure.

• Get out to network at least once a week. If you are networking at the same places, try a new organization.

• Connect with local colleges and universities. They can always use expertise, and it may provide you a new avenue for ideas.

• Partner with others to provide added value to customers and develop new products or services.

• Get creative with price. Think about bundling services, or adding discounts for quantity or early sales.

• Thank existing customers by offering them a discount for returning and buying again.


I’m guessing you could add to this list by conducting a brainstorming session of your Advisory Board, Executive Team, Management Staff or employees. Rather than posing it as a question of staying in business, think about positioning the meeting as a way to generate energy and enthusiasm. If current economic conditions are going to be the “new normal”, create an organization that plans to thrive in tough times.  9:01 AM •  0 Comments •

How to – Get Diverse Team Members to Connect When teams are made up of homogeneous members, creating connections happens automatically. But when the members of your team are different from each other, you’ve got a challenge.

When you are the one who is different, connecting right from the start, developing rapport, showing credibility, creating a safe place to learn, reading and responding to cues and clues, and adjusting your behavior based on feedback are all challenges that must be dealt with. As a leader, you should help team members connect to one another and create a cohesive team culture. If you believe that everyone is unique, then all teams are comprised of members
who are different from one another.

When people join a group they wonder:
• Will this be a valuable experience?
• Will this be a safe place to learn?
• Will we develop as a community?
• Who are the other members? What will they think of me and what will I think about them?
• Will I find a way to fit into the group?
• Will this be worth my time?

Once these questions are answered, people’s behaviors and contributions will follow. The goal for the leader is to create an awareness of differences and celebrate them as well as leverage them.

As a leader, you need to:
• Make sure each person’s voice is heard
• Highlight and welcome differences in an observable way.
• Create a level playing field.

Assure members who may be less knowledgeable in specific areas that they have a valuable
role to play. Connect them to members who will assist them in developing where it is needed. In this way, learning becomes part of the environment, making the team a developmental opportunity for every member.  6:32 PM •  0 Comments •

How to – Talk to Strangers Growing up, you might have been told that you should never talk to strangers. I was taught that too, but I often found that my parents’ behavior was completely different. They could talk to people anywhere and everywhere – in a checkout line at the store, in a waiting room at the dentist’s office, at the bank or in a restaurant. They always seemed to be able to create a conversation in ways that amazed me.

With all of the opportunities to network and create interpersonal connections, it’s a skill that can serve a professional well. Unfortunately, many people are simply terrible at creating conversation. They didn’t grow up learning what people used to refer to as “cocktail party conversation”, and it’s a shame because professional networking events are the “cocktail party” of today’s business environment.

Always look for the welcoming cues: a smile, eye contact, and laughter can be passive invitations. Look welcoming with a smile or a laugh of your own; and hold eye contact for three seconds or more.

If you are hoping to open a door to further conversation and looking for topics to create a connection, try discussing one of these:

• Local places of interest

• The hospitality of those hosting the event

• Aspects of the local culture; museums, food, history

• Accomplishments of the area: new construction project, local park, cultural icons

Sincerity and interest communicated in your opening statement will indicate your hopes and intentions for a connection.  6:49 AM •  0 Comments •