By: DeLinda Forsythe, founder and CEO, Innovative Commercial Environments
We are navigating uncharted waters – that much is clear. During this crisis I’d like to offer some words of hope and suggest we shift our attention from the negative, frightening barrage of information that is enveloping us every moment of the day by considering the following:
· This is not a permanent condition, it will pass.
· After this passes, we will have learned A LOT.
· Our precious children appear to be the safest demographic; as a mother and grandmother this gives me incredible relief.
· Companies need to take a hard look at every facet of their business to increase efficiency without losing their humanity in the process.
· If furloughs, lay-offs or terminations are needed to save the company, do them swiftly to save the organization and always with the largest dose of compassion possible.
· Fear and panic beget fear and panic – don’t be ‘that person’ that spreads hate at this time, please reconsider the effect of your words on social media, just for a bit of time. Ask yourself as you’re writing yet another unhelpful message, “does this serve humanity right now in a positive way?”
· Display compassion, patience, understanding, especially if you are in disagreement with someone else’s opinion. Be a calming presence – LISTEN without having to be right. Just let that go for this brief snapshot in time.
· Opportunities for growth, increased knowledge, more efficient supply chains shifted to US ally nations and back to the US will emerge – these are positive changes that have highlighted national vulnerabilities.
· Seek the good in this crisis, it’s there even if not immediately transparent.
· Maslow’s hierarchy of needs will become more prevalent than ever as we fight disempowerment, ‘cave man brain’ and automatically switch to self-preservation. Be aware of this normal behavioral response and battle against it, allowing our greater angels to emerge.
· Maintaining a sense of normalcy, positivity and calm is critical. Be the light, share your light.
· Focusing on the needs of others has never been more significant, especially the most impacted. People are losing income, childcare resources, jobs and in many cases their lives or the lives of their loved ones. Many have a heightened mortality risk.
· There is so much fear right now, avoid jumping on that bandwagon.
· BE PRESENT which is going to become ever more difficult as many of the systems we have in place break down. Good will ultimately come from this shift as it historically always has.
· Maintain, develop or seek faith in whatever Higher Power you embrace. Nothing is more helpful than having faith, meditation, mindfulness, spirituality, reading scripture. Whatever path your faith journey takes you on, lean in on that during this moment of crisis.
· Watch Mr. Rogers – what a pitch perfect movie to enjoy during this time! Mr. Rogers offered us a universal message to constructively channel our anger and seek ways to lift each other up.
· Start your COVID-19 daily journal, you’ll learn so much about your character as you read your journal when this has passed, probably not all positive. Crisis often reveals character flaws, providing an opportunity for growth.
· Every single American will be universally affected by this pandemic: how do we each individually lift each other up? If your finances can sustain this, perhaps you can pre-pay for future services provided by a service provider you regularly utilize such as your house keeper, childcare provider, masseuse, hair stylist, chiropractor, etc. and continue to provide them a much-needed income stream today.
· Stay in touch with your elderly neighbors and if you have an extra serving for a meal you’re already preparing, be their Door Dasher and leave it for them at their front door! (Use gloves.)
When you think of others, it helps take the focus off of you and trust me, there are probably a lot of people suffering and impacted much more than you are.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented moment for our company to align, foster and promote generational leadership which I am capturing in my first book detailing how we are developing generational leaders. We are capturing this present moment in time from a business perspective. Chapter 7: Live the Entrepreneurial Spirit asks our team to espouse an entrepreneurial mindset which includes the following values:
· Care about each other. Care to the point of loving each other and always with the perspective that we want to see everyone reach their full potential.
· Realize the importance of striving for excellence consistently both in our personal and business lives. Set high standards for yourself and each other.
· We face challenges, mistakes, opportunities, with the same passion. We face them all head on, not shirking responsibility.
· We take full ownership of our lives and our decisions. We seek reasons to increase our understanding not to provide excuses.
· We are dreamers, we have our eyes on the future so we seek to find better solutions, processes, procedures, ways of thinking, working - always with the idea of improving our business and personal lives.
· We embrace everyone’s ideas, realizing that discord often leads to more wholistic, thoughtful and mutually beneficial resolutions.
· We know each other as people. We know what brings each other happiness, sadness, what evokes fear, what opens each other up or shuts someone down. We know our own and each other’s limitations and talents and at the end of the day, we strive to either encourage change if needed, embrace people for who they are or separate.
· We have honest conversations and ask lots of open-ended questions, request reflection, seek clarity. All for the personal and continual growth of ourselves and each other.
· We ask that our co-workers be passionately committed to the success of others and passionately desire to share their success with each other in word, deed and action. Lifting each other up as much as possible especially at this time.
· Most significantly, we are our ‘brother’s keeper’, we each will do whatever we can to keep everyone employed. This owner mindset is what needs to be everyone’s mindset; we are all equally responsible to keep each other employed as we strive for a collective goal of zero lay-offs.
Every single American will be universally affected by this pandemic: how do we each individually lift each other up? Stay in close contact with each other, especially those you lead by starting a one-on-one text conversation with them so they know how valuable they are to the organization and how important their personal journey is to you as their leader.
I hope this offers perspective as well as actionable steps as we all endeavor to navigate this crisis together, as a unified, family-centric community.