Now is the time to pull together and think creatively about our businesses. When times are easy, unfortunately, we often lose the edge to monitor performance, to question out-dated procedures and unnecessary expenses. Maintenance items slip when we’re busy “filling orders”. This might be anything from physical maintenance to reconnecting with clients, to exploring new opportunities for growth, to taking classes for improvement and enrichment.
Consider brainstorming some of these questions:
- That would happen if we had a product that was 180 degrees different from today? (Example: A hospital with low census went from finding ways to get sick people in the door to finding ways to get well people in the door! They re-created their unused physical space into a wellness center and found lots of takers!)
- What if we blew up the business and started all over? What would we get rid of because it is extraneous, irrelevant or an unnecessary expense? (Example: How many people really READ that report? Does it have to be so immense? What’s the bottom line here?)
- Have we put people in positions where they play to their strengths? Talk, talk, talk and figure out where is the match. (Example: One employee is great with web research, web design, and staying up on the competition. She’s lousy on the phone. Right now, she’s willing to cut back and work half-time from her house with a company-supplied computer and cable modem.)
- If your job opened up today, would you get it? Are you consistently producing great results, solving problems and finding more efficient ways of doing things? (Example: Take on a project no one wants and make it work. Can you persuade people to get on-board and achieve a goal? Now, that’s leadership-a quality that is in GREAT demand and therefore, recession-proof.)
Eileen McDargh, McDargh Communications. All rights reserved. You may reprint this article so long as it remains intact with the byline and if all links are made live.
Since 1980, professional speaker and Hall of Fame member Eileen McDargh has helped Fortune 100 companies as well as individuals create connections that count and conversations that matter. Her latest book is Gifts from the Mountain-Simple Truths for Life’s Complexities. Her other books include Talk Ain’t Cheap…It’s Priceless and Work for a Living and Still Be Free to Live, one of the first books to address the notion of balance and authentic work. A 59 year-old grandmother, she recently returned from climbing among the highest mountains in the world. Find out more about this compelling and effective professional speaker and join her free newsletter by visiting http://www.EileenMcDargh.com.
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