Symptoms:
Sasha looked at the calendar and realized we are about 8 weeks away from the end of 2020 and what a year it has been. She knew 2020 has been a year like no other. A global pandemic, toilet paper shortages, closed business and canceled face to face meetings come to the top of her mind.
This change in life and business made her feel uncomfortable as she thrived at in person meetings, uncertain of what the future would hold her, her friends and clients and introduced her to a new levels of stress and anxiety. She wondered what 2021 would bring and if a return to normal could be expected.
Diagnosis:
In short Sasha, a return to the world as we once knew it is not likely. The world has changed in 2020. Working routines have been turned upside down. Now commutes tend to be moving from the bedroom to the office, sofa or dining room table, with or without getting dressed for the day. In-person meetings are be few and far between as technology-based meetings are the new norm and co-workers might now have four legs instead of two.
Prescription
As 2020 unwinds and the world looks to 2021 it is important to look back and realize the changes you were faced with and how you handled them. Give yourself a pat on the back for rolling with the never-ending changes, learning new technology and continuing to get the job done, but do not get stuck there. Take another look, one with a more critical lens, to see where you can be ready to improve or tighten up your operations.
It is time to make sure you are getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Noone knows what the next eight weeks will look like and the only constant that can be counted on is change.
Here are a few tips to help close 2020 and head into 2021:
- Do not play the victim. This pandemic has touched every aspect for nearly everyone at every level. From CEO/President down to the warehouse workers- all have been impacted.
- There are no more social calls. Have you tried to just “pop-in” using zoom or teams? It just does not work. Using your calendar to schedule purposeful meetings is a must and even more critical than in the past.
- Pre-call work is critical not only for you, but the contact you are calling on. As virtual meetings came to take over our lives, burnout is real. It felt at the start all meetings went virtual where a phone call or email could suffice. Find the right balance of face-to-face virtual meetings versus emails and phone calls. With pre-call prep all parties know what will happen and why during your conversations.
- Ask for help if you need it. Asking for help is not being a victim but being honest. Find someone you can trust and have those important conversations. Sometimes simply saying words out loud helps you to realize things are ok.
Critical Thinking
We are going to make you take out those lenses now- share one thing you think you did well in 2020 and one thing you think you could have done differently. Where do you want to improve in 2021?
The Drill
Final Thought for the Morning:
"We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated." - Maya Angelou
"Security is mostly a superstition. Life Is either a daring adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller
Your Top 3 Goals & Tactics for the Week
LAST WEEK: Update us on how things went last week with your stated Goals and GD Tactics.
THIS WEEK: Please share your Top 3 Goals for this week and the GD tactics you plan to deploy.
