Do you want to show up more creatively for your clients and your colleagues, your family, and your friends?
Do you want to default to thinking about opportunity versus focusing just on problems?
Discovering Hope is full of proactive steps you can take right now, to achieve a more positive mindset or to help maintain the positivity you already have
Getting Positive reveals that more optimism is close at hand
How did I do during covid?
A crisis sheds light on those that function well under extreme pressure. Conversations about lockdown have revealed those of you that feel your boss simply cannot communicate/reassure/cope, with virtual working. But cut some slack to those bosses, who knows what their domestic circumstances are. That said, we are all constantly being assessed, the bosses but team members as well! For sure, team leaders will now have a pretty good idea who thrives virtually and who is diving. This will be a valuable understanding to have in deciding the physical/virtual mix post covid. And perhaps moving forward, whilst intelligence ‘IQ’ and emotional intelligence ‘EQ’ will continue to be important, your ‘AQ’ or adaptability quotient, will play a much larger part in the hiring process. bit.ly/2QQGzLp hashtag#Effective hashtag#Communication hashtag#Assessment hashtag#Adaptability
Get Inspired Get Living
‘Inspiration exists, but it must find you working.’ (Pablo Picasso) I’ll certainly be working this long weekend…On my tennis arm, my drinking arm, my sun worshipping everything…May you all be ‘found’ working this weekend. ps. time out is crucial for successful careers. Be kind to yourself. Live a bit! hashtag#Live hashtag#Inspiration hashtag#Timeout
Should we all work virtually all of the time?!
There’s much talk about the future impact on working practices, a big theme of my daily conversations with you. The longer we have to live with covid 19, the more entrenched coping behaviours become, the more likely we are to see real permanent changes. Will we all be working from home instead of going in to offices? Managers have discovered that virtual working can work. Specifically, they will now know who can work effectively from home and who can’t. Recently some companies have decided beyond covid, they are going completely virtual. This seems as strange to me as compelling everyone to be in the office! For many years I’ve been asked by those of you looking for a new job, whether an employer might allow four day weeks in office and one day out. My response has been, earn the right, prove your ability and perhaps you can make it happen. ie) Employers want people in the office. Moving forward, the smart agencies will allow more virtual working/have a flexible approach to their employees. What they will not do, is lurch from the controlling inflexibility of expecting 100% attendance to demanding everyone stay at home. If they do, this seems more a policy about financial management and less about employee welfare or effectiveness. hashtag#optimalwork hashtag#motivatedemployees hashtag#flexiworking
Counteracting the effects of Covid 19
Who isn’t stressed with the effects of COVAD19 first from the perspective of the health of their loved ones closely followed by economic uncertainty and fear for their jobs. What should we do to help our families/friends and colleagues/clients?
What We Can Do? Professionally
Forwards – There’s only one way we can go. It’s good to remind people of this fact, while struggling to cope with real life pressures isn’t easy, the sooner we focus on the future the faster we move individually and collectively forward.
One For All – We will get through this through collective support and effort. Communicating this is comforting to those that are feeling the stress, who are feeling the pressures of the world are upon them.
Communicate Empathetically – Uncertainty is the enemy of business. Before anything else, others need to know that you understand their situation. Don’t assume you know what it is. Hear people out. Often they simply want to express themselves. Hear them and you are better equipped to communicate effectively.
Positive Mindset – Much easier said than done but to get the best from those around us, we can play are part in giving ‘belief’ that things will work out. By projecting a narrative away from ‘uncertainty’ to one of possibility and potential, we influence the defensive mentality of clients.
Create Opportunity – In every situation your reaction drives you toward a potential positive or negative outcome. Externally there’s much you can’t control but by talking opportunity or potential even with clients in a defensive mindset, you increase the chances if not of an expansive client mindset then of one that is relatively less negative, one prepared therefore prepared to cut budgets less?
What We Can Do Personally? (How best to escape constant pressure and to buoy our mental health)
Find Peace away from the Bad News or/ switch off.’ For many this is not hard but for a decent number this is very hard. Two ‘safe’ areas I’d suggest.
Gratitude – After extensive travel in Africa and India, I’m aware that we have huge amounts to be grateful for. You might not want to hear this and are simply concerned for your family’s well-being to which I say, focus on how fortunate you are to have a family you love so much, many don’t. Focus on the things that are amazing in your life, such as being healthy, having food to eat or that you have an inquisitive, ‘problem solving’ mind! We all tend to take most things for granted; The state of being grateful, prevents you focusing on what you don’t have. Being grateful is ‘mentally,’ a very safe place to be.
Giving – Helping others – (Not talking about it, doing it.) So your hands are full, I understand but when you are completely focused on helping others, your own children or strangers, when you are completely ‘in the moment’ of helping, you are in a ‘safe’ area, as far from worrying about what ‘might not be’ you are creating ‘what is’ for someone else.
Connect with Others – Talk with others, show them you care, that they are not alone and in so doing, you help and are helped.
For links on some of the themes from above – Bit.ly/2xiLLRG
Counter Attacking COVID-19
Who isn’t stressed with the effects of COVID-19 from both the perspective of health and job security. I’m no ‘crisis’ expert but when times are tough, I tend to default to the following.
Professionally – Key actions with clients
One-For-All – Communicating that together we will get through this challenge. This ‘needs’ to be communicated through words and better still, words and ‘actions.’
Empathetic Communication – Uncertainty is the enemy of business that said, in the midst of this crisis, I don’t assume I know what someone else’s situation is. I try to listen carefully and communicate an understanding of what I’ve heard and then work form there.
Positive Mindset – My aim is to project a narrative away from uncertainty and toward one of potential and in so doing, perhaps mitigate the defensive mindset clients might have.
Create Opportunity – There’s much I can’t control but, I can control how I show up! Talking ideas/opportunity is the way to help a client orient away from challenges/threats.
Personally – Mitigating pressure/buoy mental health)
Two areas I take refuge from stress:
Gratitude – When I’m focused on what I have versus what I don’t, I’m not in a negative frame of mind.
Giving – When I’m helping others, (or trying to!) again I’m not thinking about my situation, I’m focused on others. At the same time when much seems beyond my control, giving is something that not only helps others but it empowers me; I’m in control and making a difference.
I’m here for any of you. Very best wishes, S
Articles and commentary that might be of interest…
2020 – Job Security and Success
In a perfect world you would enjoy most of your working day but for as many as 60% (Gallup 10/19), this is far from true. If you consistently don’t like more of your working day than you like, the salary and/or experience you’re getting really need to be worthwhile to justify staying in the job.
It’s not rocket science. There’s a strong correlation between enjoying what you do and job retention. In truth, if you like what you do, you may well be good at it or at least, motivated to achieve task mastery and therefore show up, more energetic and enthusiastic than your peers.
For strategic planners, 2020 presents much opportunity but the uncertainty pervading the advertising and marketing worlds is palpable. A volatile business in-the-midst of structural change, with a short term ‘P&L’ focus, with jobs added and removed at the margins as business is won and lost, should ensure the safety of strategy roles, but this very often is sadly, not the case.
I’ve spoken with several talented strategists who have recently lost their jobs. If they are so talented why are they losing out?
- There are no guarantees in business and the chances are at some point, (law of averages) you will be laid off.
- Factors beyond your control – The new boss, the new competitor, client cut- backs.
- Strategy is misunderstood and/or undervalued in your agency.
What can you do to minimize your chances of being laid off and to be a career success. As we roll forward into the new year and decade, a few thoughts.
i) Business mindset – Be aware how and where the agency or business you work for makes money even if it’s not your role to do so.
ii) Keep close to the money – Keep a close handle on the client relationship. Be aware of how the client makes money so you can help them and so enhance their loyalty to the agency/you.
iii) Multi-Skilled – The more you can contribute the easier to deploy, the more valuable.
iv) Team Player – Work closely with (and in the development of) others and be open to performing multiple tasks.
v) New Business – The security for all business is sales/new business, particularly where business retention is poor. Get involved in making business growth happen, new or existing.
vi) Leadership – Keep near to it and so close to the pulse of the agency and what’s happening.
vii) Fame – ‘Be famous!’ Be known for doing something extremely well. I.e.) Make yourself irreplaceable. Easier said than done. It takes time so start now!
There isn’t 100% job security for most people, employed or self-employed. So, the more aware you are of the value exchange, yours and how the agency provides value in relation to where the client makes money, the greater chance you have of not simply keeping a job but thriving in it.
For more background on this article see newsletters with links attached in the sparkin search website.
Wishing all, a happy and successful year ahead.
Onwards,
Stuart