Plan or Seek: An Early Autumn Treat For Transforming Fear Into Relief
Greetings *|FNAME|*,
Fall is here, and Halloween arrives just over a month from now. This enduring annual holiday that combines the surprising, the macabre, and the creative, is a fascinating social exercise in overcoming fears. Because in most circles of life, fear causes many of our ills as people, whether they are physical, emotional, psychological, or even spiritual. Fear stymies us in the present by robbing from our future, and leaves us feeling powerless. And fear cuts across all educational and socio-economic levels. But Halloween throws all that aside for one day, providing a familiar platform for non-traumatizing, temporary frights.
Ritual and pattern are two common approaches to seeking relief from fear, because they generate a sensation of safety. We feel comfortable doing the same things, in the same places. But our world is so large and constantly changing, that the relatively safe feeling of our small corner isn't always reassuring in the face of distant, looming dangers. Some of us face wildfires in Hawaii, or heavy rain in Nevada, or hurricanes in Florida, or mass shootings each month, as well as the extreme heat everywhere else. Then sometimes these things overlap and encroach on everyone's homebase... like when the pandemic hit in 2020.
Talking about Covid brings Barby Moro to my mind. She is a local entrepreneur here in Tallahassee who owned Red Eye Coffee for five years. As a fledgling entrepreneur, she faced a do-or-die business situation in 2020. Barby chose to throw everything at her business to keep it viable, and it lasted. She recently announced her sale of her enterprise to another local entity, where special needs adults will be able to run the show, with some functional support. Barby held a high reserve of self-efficacy, and an incredible work ethic, refusing to let fear during Covid define or restrict her success.
Not all of us fared so well. We lost family, friends, colleagues or other people who we still miss. Many businesses also closed down.
Change by Design was fortunate because of our product range and industry. The pandemic was actually a boon for change management and e-learning project opportunities. We saw dramatic normalization of remote workplace arrangements, and a heated scramble to temporarily translate the elementary, middle and high school classroom into a distance learning format. Some did fine with the new normal, and some did not.
Perhaps you weren't afraid for your company, because of what you do for a living. Maybe you weren't scared because of your faith in a higher power. You may have already developed tremendous coping skills, like using meditation to reach a calm peace of mind. Or you might have built a risk management plan AHEAD of time, then put it into action successfully. Although the pandemic certainly wrecked nearly every routine we previously held, some did better than others.
How did you handle your fears, and avoid projecting them onto your employees? Was it as a believer? As a planner? Or as something else?
Were you one of the exceptional few who pivoted quickly, changing your fear-based response into an opportunity-based response? Bravo if you achieved success by getting in front of potential risks, and using a written plan of action that overcame fear-generating potentials.
You turned your organization from fear to opportunity, AHEAD of time. It likely created a waterfall of relief throughout your organization, because everyone knew where they stood with the new normal. Planning enabled systemic coping skills.
So back to the global disaster scenario thing. I watched An Inconvenient Truth while on a plane back from Houston, and it was unnerving to watch something today, that was described back in 2006, starting to materialize right before my very eyes. Therefore, it's no surprise to me that insurance rates are going up here in Florida, as we brace for more frequent and damaging storms. I'm planning accordingly, both at home and in my business. And although that doesn't completely eliminate my fears of the coming future, it surely provides a firmer foundation to conduct daily affairs.
Now consider what you can do today to help yourself and your employees face similar anxieties about business continuity. I challenge you to:
- Build your 5-year business disaster plan over the next month. There's no time like now to seek relief from any fears about tomorrow. It's helpful for you, and for your team members.
- If you already have a 5-year plan, make a 10-year plan over the next two months. Do a little bit each week until it's done. Taking the time to do it now will pay dividends when you do have to pivot.
- No matter what life stage your business is currently in, take some time to define and establish your exit plan. Consider illness, succession, top level leadership change impacts, ownership transition, and even unforseen market forces. Then write down how you will deal with them.
After that, you can maintain the patterns or rituals that have relieved fear and brought success to you and your employees. Be sure to keep your plans accessible and ready for when change is necessary. Then review them periodically to keep them current. You got this!
Now just take a deep, soothing sip of your favorite autumn seasonal spiced latte, and focus on business success as we enter the Fall quarter...
Fantastically yours,
Sue
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