Here’s an update as I continued yesterday to ensure that my home office broadcast studio is ready to go …
I’ll have full details next week as to the full range of online service offerings. Know this – when you are ready to go, I will be as well!
The future doesn’t stop with volatility – only your initiative does!
“There are very few commodities in the world right now more precious than hope and optimism!” – Futurist Jim Carroll
Hey, has your world changed? Mine too! So has everyone else’s! Fast and furious does not begin to capture the speed with which our new world is unfolding.
So what do you do about it?
Innovate! Change! Adapt! Realign! Rethink! Redo!
You’ll know that I often point out that one of my key go-to phrases on the stage is this: “Some people see the future and see a threat. Innovators see the same future and see an opportunity!”
That’s a reality in the best of times — it also holds true today, in the … most challenging times?
Your hope defines your future – your optimism defines the attitude that can help you arrive there. When we witness a fast new era of economic uncertainty and potential personal peril, our first reaction is to recoil in fear and shock.
And yet, we really should try to move long in the emotional process. I suspect that I will be talking a lot about my ‘7 Stages of Economic Grief’ process, because I think what many people are finding themselves going through is similar to the process of grieving.
Here’s a thought : you’ll best define your future right now by deciding to move along through the stages. Stop grieving – start accepting!
Oh, and don’t become captive to the daily volatility!
Reading the Wall Street Journal right now, one analyst observed: “Much of the volatility we’re seeing is a product of this to and fro, this push and pull about which forces should have the upper hand, the technical impact from Covid-19 or the feel-good factor from policy stimulus.”
If your attitude during the day is ruled by the market, stop it! The market is NOT a reflection of your future – shift your thinking to the long term transformative trends which will bring opportunity to your world.
Think longer term – not hours and days, but months and years. The fact is, we live in a remarkable time of remarkable opportunity – there is much more yet to come!
Your strength for the journey ahead is your hope, and opportunity is your oxygen.
Focus on that, and breathe deeply.
“The brutal truth is that you now need a new plan: are you already ready to challenge your indecision and kill your sudden inertia?” – Futurist Jim Carroll
The world has changed pretty dramatically in just over ten days, hasn’t it? Most likely, so too has the potential for you to realize your goals.
Will you let that stop you? It shouldn’t.
Start changing the recipe already!
After all….goals are like pasta. Yesterday, they were pretty firm, right now are kind of soft, but if you change the recipe just a bit, you can be pretty certain they’ll be fantastic!
I witnessed this thinking within my global client base right after the dot.com collapse and 9/11 – and again in 2009. Some people and organizations seemed numb, frozen, unsure of what to do. Others? They decided if their world changed so fast, they would change too!
In fact, in 2010 I wrote about this observation: “Since the events of last year, I’ve been out on the road working with dozens of organizations. I’ve seen and have worked with two different types of organizations and leaders. I’ve seen innovation failures — companies that are stuck in their economic rut, and unable to figure out what to do next. In other cases, I’ve encountered some real pioneers and fast-movers. They are the innovation leaders — they have the same sentiment that I posted in a blog a year ago, in that they know they can’t panic — they have to go forward by innovating, changing and adapting.”
What will you do today? Are you still stuck in the shock phase? The world has changed. Get over it and move along.
It’s easier out here in the acceptance phase.
Come and join me in my optimism for what might come next!
As Covid-19 continues its relentless march to havoc, we might find a greater number of people finding themselves participating in the largest ever ‘work-at-home’ social experiment
If you find yourself in that circumstance, make sure you have a plan!
I’ve been working in a home office since 1990, and so with 30 years of experience under my belt, I have some insight into how to best manage your time, your sanity and your life.
And in fact, way back in 2003 – 17 years ago! – I wrote a post that included my list of ’10 Rules for Working at Home.’
It seems a good time to now share it!
In the area where I live, the school system has an annual “take your kid to work day” for Grade 9’s. Today was the day for my eldest son — and since I’ve been working at home for 18 years, I suggested it might not be a good idea to have him hanging around here for the day watching TV!
So we sent him off to work with the local grocery store……
18 years is a long time in a home office. Back in 2003, I wrote an article, “10 Rules for Working At Home.” Here’s the short list.
I’m often providing detailed strategic guidance to senior executives and leaders on trends and the future, and certainly the economy has become a big part of what I address today. Much of my time is now spent putting into perspective the fact that we’ve always had downturns; there’s still plenty of growth opportunities out there; innovation is even more critical now to ensure that you’re ready to go as the economy starts firing on both cylinders again (which it will.)
What has become evident is that the most pressing issue for leaders today is focus. While volatility rocks global markets, there continue to be fundamental truths: your industry, products, competition, skills requirements, organizational capabilities, and ability to respond to rapid change will define your future success.
Here’s my advice on what you should be doing right now to ensure that you are ready for what comes next. Start thinking about these things TODAY.
Really lousy video quality, but here’s a clip from what I told an audience at a major global conference in Washington DC in November 2008. The global economy went through it;’s epic meltdown just 2 months before.
You need to watch this right now, and learn from it. Start moving back to the future again! Because history has taught us its the right thing to do!
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