Decision Making in Tough Times.
We are living through an unprecedented situation of our modern times. This is a pandemic like no other. It is not isolated but affecting every human being on the planet. Whether you contract the virus or not each persons’ actions will affect more than just themselves. As with most major issues the world over this will have the greatest impact on those who have the least. And yet it is those very same people who will be expected to follow the guidelines that, in all honesty, are designed by people living with privilege.
As a business owner I am scared. I have been preparing for this business for over a year now so I am in a fortunate position where I have reserves. However, most businesses do not. Now we are shutting down borders and commerce is coming to a halt. Those fears we have as business owners are just being magnified and it can cause us to go back to our animalistic inclinations. Our decision making at this time, when in survival mode, is usually about “I” rather than “we”. I get it, I understand it but right now we need to come together. Here are some thoughts on how we can improve our decision making.
The only thing you can control is YOU!!!!! You can influence people and situations by controlling YOU and YOUR actions. For everything else there is hope
Know Your Power
For those who are not in a privileged position, when it comes to decision making, I have found that knowing your power and how to utilize it can help to navigate the tricky waters. There are 3 main types of power: Control, Influence and Hope.
Power of control – We often think we can control what we cannot. As a result we waste energy. There is only one thing in this world we can control…ourselves. We control our actions, our thoughts, our words, and our attitude.
Power of influence – Influence comes from our control or lack of control of ourselves. The decisions we take will influence our situation and will influence those around us. Conversely, our situation and others can influence us. When you see people hoarding supplies, it is very easy to think that is the right thing to do. When you see people ignoring health advice and carrying on as usual, you can easily think that it is okay for you to do so too.
Power of hope – For everything else, there is hope. Hope that the pandemic will die down. Hope that you don’t get sick. Hope that your family and loved ones can make it through.
It is a constant cycle. We control ourselves to influence those around us. Once we control ourselves to make better decisions, all we can do is hope that things get better.
Things we can do to better control our decision making:
1) Focus on the bigger picture. Right now EVERYTHING takes a back seat to health and safety. The short-term pain/isolation we face today can help to minimize long term catastrophe. It is hard to earn money if you or your customers are literally dying. This is an opportune moment to take the stance “this is bigger than me”.
2) Accept that we can only control ourselves. Focus on the actions that will help feed into the bigger picture. Listen to the guidelines and advice being given. We are all connected and our actions will directly influence others. If we all ignore, we will find ourselves in the situation Italy finds itself. Overwhelmed and in panic. If we decide to look out for ourselves by hoarding essentials, we put others at risk and that influences poor decision making. If we can all think “how will this decision affect me and others around me” as we are doing things, then that will influence those around us for good decision making. It is easier said than done but it is actually a skill that once developed will have a major influence long after this pandemic is over.
3) It might not seem like it right now but there are silver linings. As mentioned above, learning to make decisions thinking about you and others is something that can help us be better both now and in the future. We can use this time to work on improving ourselves and our business fundamentals. I for one am doing more reading and working on things I had earmarked to do in a few months. My aim is to be in better position to help businesses once this is over. So whether it takes a month or several, I will have solid foundations to launch from. For some business owners, this is a great time to improve systems/processes. If you don’t have a sales strategy, haven’t mapped out your operations, or struggle with understanding your finances now can be the time to start or try to put things in place. For service providers, keep in contact with your clients, help in any way possible.
4) Work on your mindset. In tough times and in good times, one thing that helps me is gratitude. Each day I start or end the day with 3 new things I am grateful for from the day or previous day and 3 small goals I want to achieve that day. Studies have shown that doing this for 21 days consecutively can completely rewire how we see the world. In such troubling times, it is important to find the good and not be inundated with the bad.
We are all in this together. It is not going to be easy but if we can remember to take care of one and other as well as control our actions, we might just emerge from this better than when it started.
During this time I am offering my help to businesses and individuals. Need help with systems or processes or strategy then get in touch. For free templates or ideas or even to get advice contact me on oggy@gpsdevco.com