As a business consultant, I constantly hear stories, read advice, and see comments focused on worries, concerns, and caution. While thinking through strategies and carefully planning your approach are important, the fuel that brings an idea to life are passion and positivity.
Skill, experience, training, analytics, and all the other technical aspects of running a business are important, yes. But, without the passion and positivity, will you have the drive to push through when problems arise? Will you have the perseverance to keep going when it feels hard? The desire and persistence to succeed come from something you have to find within yourself.
When the “going gets tough,” it can sometimes feel overwhelming. That’s when you need to tap into your “why”—your reason for running this business in the first place. What do you love about it? Why is it important for this pursuit to be successful? What is your driver? Maybe your product or service helps people and it feels good to know that you’re making a difference. Or maybe your company brings people together and that is fulfilling for you. Whatever it is, that is the fuel you need to succeed.
If you need a little boost finding your passion and positivity (some days are harder than others), here are some reminders to keep you on track:
Stop focusing on the negative. Positive thinking is vital. To really have a good chance at success, one needs a balance between reality, paranoia, action, and positive thinking.
Positive thinking does not necessarily mean avoiding or ignoring negatives. Instead, it involves making the most of the potentially bad situations, trying to see the best in other people, and viewing yourself and your abilities in a positive light.
Create a positive culture. Say please, thank you, and demonstrate you care about people. Show support with praise and encouragement.
Remember that operating a small business is a process. Recognize you will make mistakes. Your goal must be to develop, test, measure, and adapt rather than give up after the first or second problem. Because there will be problems. Regularly. Therefore, businesses not only need to have alternatives at the ready, but the processes to adapt must be in place as well.
Stay grounded. Encourage open communication, a sense of realism, and focus on problem solving. Be sure to constantly assess your situation. Develop expert support and, when appropriate, have discussions with outside and inside colleagues. There are always ways to improve. So, be open to new ideas and suggestions.
Be flexible. Because the market changes, and your customers’ lifestyles change by the nano-second, you need to be able to pivot. By “expecting” that your market can change from year to year, you are being proactive in your thinking, and can create flexible plans to adapt to these changes.
Put yourself in others’ shoes. There is extensive research supporting the idea that people don’t change unless they believe in it. So, when given the opportunity to argue your case, try to emphasize the benefits for the other party. It is well proven that tactics like collaboration, trust, and listening work better in decision-making than dictating, lecturing, and proclaiming false expertise. Think of things from their perspective.
Understand your goals, resources, and risk. In particular, really understand your market analysis, competition, how and why your company is different, and why customers should care. Are you focused on long-term growth or quick profits? While testing alternatives is a great strategy, ensure that you are focused on priorities that you can execute and that will have the most potential.
Have fun. Finding ways to incorporate fun helps you tap into your passion and positivity. It can also reduce stress, boost morale, and fosters positivity.
Passion and positivity are great drivers of success. When you enjoy doing something, the effort you put into it feels more fulfilling. And while you may not be passionate about doing inventory, knowing it benefits the overall business may make the less-fun tasks more bearable. It’s all about mindset. So, set your worries aside, keep your passion and positivity at the forefront, continue working hard, and trust that you’re headed for greatness.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, president of Startup Connection, prides himself on his ability to define what is unique about each and every business. He works closely with individuals to develop a personalized approach that targets specific areas of concern and offers solutions based on his 40+ years of experience. His team of experts will address your particular needs while working to save you time and money.
Positive expectations lead to positive results. This is because confidence and energy increase when we believe in ourselves. Conversely, a negative outlook contributes to a lower chance of succeeding. Basically, with positivity, we are capable of whatever we believe we are capable of.
It makes sense, therefore, to create more opportunities to include positivity. This can manifest in many forms: attitude, environment, expectations, etc.
In recent years, it has become more difficult to maintain positive expectations as stress and uncertainty have skyrocketed as a result of the pandemic. Not surprisingly, there has been an increase in depression, suicide, drinking, and crime.
On one hand, we put up with and even enable negativity and bad behavior. For example, in recent weeks, a coached punched another coach, an actor hit another actor, and we allowed senators to act disgracefully while utterly disrespecting a Supreme Court nominee. While all of these occurrences should be intolerable, most of the reactions were minimal or people used it as material for humor. Bad behavior should not be tolerated the way it is.
Fortunately, to offset this, there have also been some recent examples that highlight how positive efforts can improve situations. One of the most incredible reactions to the challenges with Russia is the response of Poland and Ukraine. They have literally helped millions of refuges find food, shelter, clothing, and new lives in less than a month. Their efforts are proving we can be kind, caring, and positive in an environment that is sometimes completely chaotic.
So, how do we forge ahead with a positive outlook that encourages and fosters good behavior and successful results?
Be supportive. Watching parents and little kids is one of the best examples of executing positive expectations. Kids learning to talk, walk, or ride a bike are full of excitement and confidence. At the same time, parents are supportive, encouraging, and watching with glee. If we could support one another, both in and out of work, with this same enthusiasm, how much more successful could we all be?
Consider your perspective. A great (and often unused) tool for developing more positive solutions is to recognize parameters. The recent volatility in the stock market has been well documented. What is not clear is how to analyze and interpret it. For example, two publications reported results with different interpretations and perceptions. One reported that the S&P 500 increased 3.6% in March. The other reported that the S&P 500 declined 4.9 % in the quarter. Both are true, but the interpretation is different.
Weigh all the options. For example, going back to the office creates numerous positive opportunities while working from home has numerous cost, privacy, and lifestyle benefits. In particular, new technologies have made communication, sharing files, and interaction even better. However, being in the office encourages better culture and communication benefits. We must better understand situations, needs, and performance to develop the best solutions. Many decisions are based on tradition and opinions, but maximizing the alternatives can have great benefits. Which option produces the most positive results?
Get out of your comfort zone. Take risks, shake things up, and avoid getting stuck in a rut. This is how we continue to challenge ourselves and foster growth. Risk needs to managed rather than feared. Understanding the risk, the rewards, and the importance of each can help you improve outcomes. Don’t allow fear, uncertainty, or tradition to lower your potential and prevent you from trying something new. The positive: no matter the results, you have gained valuable tools that will help you to continue improving.
Take advantage of opportunities. We’ve had a lot of disruption lately and that can often feel like a challenge rather than an opportunity. But, in my own experience with corporate turnarounds, it’s much easier to motivate, innovate, and develop collaboration in troubled or changing organizations than within those whose culture is based on the closed-minded rule of “we’ve always done it this way.” It’s amazing how many individuals and organizations have incorporated new efforts like E-commerce, work-from-home, Zoom, etc. in order to adapt to the times and, consequently, have actually improved their results.
All of this isn’t to say that every situation should be met with a naive sense of positivity. There are, of course, situations that are very nuanced and require more than a “just look on the bright side” response. Negative emotions should be addressed and we should always try to respond to distress with empathy rather than false reassurances.
In the end, however, looking for the positive rather than focusing on the negative usually gets us further in the long run. I think we can all agree that we’re happier when there are good things happening. So, let’s not only look for the positive, but help put more positivity out there through our work, thoughts, words, and actions.
Please visit our website www.startupconection.net to book a Free Session in which we can help you develop an action plan that will evaluate potential and risk. We always discuss process, expected outcomes, and cost before you make any commitment.
Dr. Bert Shlensky, president of Startup Connection, prides himself on his ability to define what is unique about each and every business. He works closely with individuals to develop a personalized approach that targets specific areas of concern and offers solutions based on his 40+ years of experience. His expert team will address your particular needs while working to save you time and money.
When you want to stand out, reach out to Bert for the tools that will build your “sticky” brand. My focus is on understanding and analyzing your dilemmas and challenges, so your company becomes profitable faster.
Call (914) 632-6977 or email me at bshlensky@startupconnection.net. Don’t leave without signing up for our useful free eBook!
Feeling stumped or overwhelmed? Contact Bert at (914) 632-6977 or Email to start the process. Thanks!
