And This Too Shall Pass©
By: Michael Loewenthal
Think positive. Act positive. Be positive. Focus on the possibilities and make it so.
For almost two months now we have been subjected to hundreds if not thousands of negative comments about the economy. We have seen some of the biggest names in the financial industry fall into ruins. We are being told every day on CNN, CNN2, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News and so many more about how bad things are. Why are we being told this over and over, because they find sensationalism inside of tragedy and tragedy sells.
I have written before that we are in a new economy, one that will be around for some time to come. Now, right now, it is time to look at circumstances with a positive eye towards the future.
No longer should we think and act in the negative. No more of the, things are getting tough, business is slow, things better change soon, I don’t know what I’m going to do, it is time to change your outlook, embrace the current circumstances and develop strategies and draw on your training and knowledge to move forward. NO MORE COMMISERATING.
Be positive, put yourself in a positive frame of mind and divorce yourself from others who are only thinking in the negative. Life can be hard, business is hard, we all know this and we all know what we must do to overcome.
Be an optimist, look for the opportunities and go after them. Side step your comfort zone and step outside, it wont hurt, yes, it may feel a bit uncomfortable, but if you are not willing to feel uncomfortable what the heck are you doing in business. Think about today and all the opportunity that is out there, you just have to uncover it. There is no industry out here today that is doing absolutely no business. That means someone is willing to do business with you, go find them. Think about tomorrow and how bright the day will be, how many people want and need what you have to offer and go find them. Think and act in the positive. Create action, for without action there is no reaction, and no reaction means, no sale. Be relentless, but don’t be a gadfly. Let your actions be aberrant, while others are following the established norms.
Look to people you admire, people like Presidents Ronald Reagan, Thomas Jefferson, or business people like Bill Gates and Donald Trump, don’t you think that they are positive thinkers, you’re darn right they are. Look to people you know local business people who are doing well, working hard even during this time of economic slow down. Watch what they do, talk to them (they are only people like you) ask them what they are doing or doing differently to ensure their success, learn from them. I am sure you will find that they are not consumed by worriment. If you are however, turn that negative energy into a positive action and continue doing so till you get a desired result, be persistent. Act and speak with such brio and insight that people will want to listen to what you have to say.
There is a bright horizon ahead of anyone who is willing to look for it, work for it and grab on to it when it appears. The current state of the economy, well, this too shall pass.
Michael Loewenthal is a hybrid business coach and trainer with a focus on small to mid-size companies.
The Business Coach
Albuquerque, NM
www.TheBusinessCoachABQ.com
CoachMichael@TheBusinessCoachABQ.com
This article is copywrited. It may be reproduced and copied without permission providing that the entire signature be included in any reproduction.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Bad News-Good News
Bad News-Good News©
There Is Always a Silver Lining, Somewhere
By: Michael B. Loewenthal
10/13/2008
Bad News:
Wow, what a week it has been. We as a nation went from a roller coaster ride of an up and down stock market into a week of only going down the hill. If you are like most, you are concerned, and rightfully so.
I don’t have the answer to all this, I only have an opinion, and opinions are a dime a dozen. No one seems to know exactly what will work to stop this economic tail spin.
Good News:
What I do know however, we as business people, and I include those who have to work on commissions of some sort. We have ourselves, we have our ability to restructure how we work, how much we work, and find new ways to do our jobs to bring in new business and develop processes to attend (perhaps better) to our existing clients. We have some measure of control as to what happens to us, and how our businesses are affected.
Bad News:
The U.S. Postal Service just stated that their mail volume has been reduced. That is telling.
Good News:
The postal service is not closing down.
Bad News:
Banks across the country are reducing or eliminating many loan programs.
Good News:
Banks in New Mexico are not on the ‘watch’ list and are still funding loans for personal and business needs. (The SBA is still lending & guarantying)
Bad News:
Businesses are closing up at a higher rate than normal.
Good News:
New Mexico Businesses are holding their own.
Bad News:
Home foreclosures are up dramatically across the country.
Good News:
New Mexico foreclosures are up only a little.
Bad News:
Unemployment is up significantly across the U.S.
Good News:
The great state of New Mexico is below the national rate.
Bad News:
The stock market is down.
Good News:
Perhaps there are good investment opportunities.
Bad News:
Gasoline prices are high.
Good News:
Gasoline prices have been coming down A LOT.
Do you remember the excitement and passion you had when you first started in your business or new career, it was wonderful I am sure. Well, find it again if it has been missing. Look at it as a new adventure. Go out there and do the things that you know need to be done in order to grow or maintain what you have. Have fun with it, again.
I would love to say that it is your (our) frame of mind that controls how our business is doing, but reality is reality. What does control how business reacts to the current situation, is how you approach the current circumstances.
Think positively, think outside the box, be bold, be full of energy, and never say no to opportunity. Be creative in your marketing, pair up with others where there is a synergy between your business and theirs, and continue to invest in yourself through reading, coaching, seminars and the like. Oh yes, network aggressively, and if you don’t know how, ask someone.
I would like to leave you with some positive things to consider.
The Positive 6 pack
1. Life is hardly ever as bad as it seems
2. Be grateful; think of the things that you are grateful for, there must be two or three of them. Remind yourself daily of them, this will energize you throughout the day.
3. Focus-Focus-Focus. Focus on the things you are doing well, and doing right. Focus on the things you want or need to change, and act on it, focus and act.
4. Help someone other than yourself. By helping someone else, you help yourself.
5. Meditate; do meditation exercises every day or prayer meditation. Spend 10 minutes a day, everyone can find 10 minuets of privacy. This will help clear your mind and body of the stress and anxiety, and the effects get better every day you do it.
6. Fill the glass. Fill a glass with water half full. Keep it somewhere that you will see it every day. Put it on your bathroom sink, kitchen counter, office desk, any place that you will see it daily. This glass of water represents your vision of the day, the glass should be looked at as half full, remind yourself daily that no matter how tough things may be or get, it is half full and go about your day with that attitude. Be positive; think positive and positive things will happen to you.
I wish for you the most success.
Coach Michael
PS If you have a positive experience during these economic times that you would like to share, I am collecting them to share in a future article. Your name will not be used, but perhaps your initials will be unless you OK the use of your name. Please forward your story to me at CoachMichael@TheBusinessCoachABQ.com
The Business Coach
Michael B. Loewenthal
Albuquerque, NM
www.TheBusinessCoachABQ.com
CoachMichael@TheBusinessCoachABQ.com
This article is copyrighted. It may be reprinted, reproduced and republished without permission providing the complete signature is included with any reprint.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Improvise-Adapt & Overcome
Improvise-Adapt & Overcome©
By: Michael Loewenthal
A motto of the United States Marines is, Improvise, Adapt & Overcome. Can we learn from this and apply it to our businesses?-ABSOLUTELY.
On September 1st, 2008, a new economy was thrust upon the American scene. Every business owner, large and small has already or will feel the effects of the changes that came along with this change. The biggest of the big companies were collapsing or are in dire financial striates, and we, through our government had to come to the rescue.
Now, we must be sure to rescue ourselves.
IMPROVISE: The American Heritage Dictionary defines improvise as “to make or provide from available materials, or perform with little or no preparation”.
To provide from available material, what does this mean, what available material? That is a fair question; I submit to you that your “material” is your experience, your contacts, your circle of influence and other third party resources. Utilize them in ways you have not done in the past. Draw on your experience to evaluate your business, if you can not “see” your business because of all the trees then have someone come in and look at it for you.
Be flexible like you have never been flexible before. Be strong and be disciplined. Be on top of your game, always. Respond in the affirmative to opportunity and use the new found flexibility to make it happen. Just do it, to quote a shoe manufacturer.
· Learn to do without new and utilize what you have from “available materials”.
· Be flexible with your offerings, not just the same old thing
· Go back to the passion you had when you first went into business
· Get back out on the street, wear out a little shoe leather
ADAPT: To adapt means “to adjust or conform; to make suitable to or fit for a specific use or situation”.
The economic climate has changed. What was is no longer. Adapt to the new economy before the new economy makes you a casualty of it. Look at everything you do, from the time you get up in the morning till the time you go to bed and look for where adaptation is necessary.
There are companies that will be out there looking to “eat your lunch” and will do so without looking back and offer no apology. They will look to build their base of business without consideration of profit for the new business they are getting. They will rely on the profit of their existing base to carry them through and in the end, when things turn around, and who knows when that is, they will be ready to reap the financial rewards of all the new business they have gotten.
Adapt to the changes by becoming different, creating new offerings and do so through improvisation and flexibility. Take a chance, step outside your box, get uncomfortable for awhile, it’s OK, the water really is fine, and it’s not too deep.
Be sensitive to the needs of your clients and customers as they too have to adapt to the economic changes at hand, and that which is coming. Be attuned to subtle changes so you can adapt where necessary and always be on the cutting edge, at the forefront of change and learn to embrace change rather than shun it.
In this mans opinion, if you are not willing to adapt, and start adapting now, you will be playing catch-up as your competitors are reaping the rewards.
OVERCOME: It simply means to prevail over or conquer.
Take responsibility, yes, I know everyone says they are responsible for their business, for themselves, so on and so forth. But I must say that what people say and what they actually do, well, they are two different things. To overcome the obstacles that will be coming, if not already here, the business owner must take responsibility for the new condition, evaluate it and make adjustments quickly (improvise & adapt) to climb over, bore through or go around the obstacle. By maintaining a “flexible” attitude new challenges will be less daunting, more successes will be enjoyed and a revived sense of passion will emerge from within and reflect on your business.
OK, everything I have said here seems to imply that I believe that the sky is falling. Let me say, without equivocation, the sky is NOT falling, but challenging times are here and will continue to come for awhile. That being said, there is opportunity with every down turn of an economy, and now is not different. There is opportunity everywhere; you must be willing to look for it by keeping your eyes open and being willing to act when it is present, no procrastination.
In closing I would just like to share a few of my observation about business owners. I have found that they fall into 4 primary groups.
· The Can Doer-High energy, fast paced, nothing gets in their way
· The I’ll Get It Done, My Way person.
· The I’m Everybody’s Friend,
· The I Need to Know More & More &…
Is one type of person more likely to be successful than another, not from my observations. What the successful ones all have in common is passion, passion for their business and life. They never loose sight of why they went into business in the first place. They embrace the principles of Improvise-Adapt & Overcome. They are willing to take risks and manage those risks. They measure their results, some on paper, and others in their head, and they always know where they stand.
In times like now they are searchers, searching for opportunities that others leave behind.
Which one are you? There is a great book, simple to read, a fast read in fact; it is called Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, MD. With most of my business coaching clients I make it required reading among other books. I suggest that if you have not read it, or it has been awhile, read it
This article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced, published and copied without permission as long as the entire signature is included unaltered.
Michael B. Loewenthal
The Business Coach
Albuquerque, NM
www.TheBusinessCoachABQ.com
By: Michael Loewenthal
A motto of the United States Marines is, Improvise, Adapt & Overcome. Can we learn from this and apply it to our businesses?-ABSOLUTELY.
On September 1st, 2008, a new economy was thrust upon the American scene. Every business owner, large and small has already or will feel the effects of the changes that came along with this change. The biggest of the big companies were collapsing or are in dire financial striates, and we, through our government had to come to the rescue.
Now, we must be sure to rescue ourselves.
IMPROVISE: The American Heritage Dictionary defines improvise as “to make or provide from available materials, or perform with little or no preparation”.
To provide from available material, what does this mean, what available material? That is a fair question; I submit to you that your “material” is your experience, your contacts, your circle of influence and other third party resources. Utilize them in ways you have not done in the past. Draw on your experience to evaluate your business, if you can not “see” your business because of all the trees then have someone come in and look at it for you.
Be flexible like you have never been flexible before. Be strong and be disciplined. Be on top of your game, always. Respond in the affirmative to opportunity and use the new found flexibility to make it happen. Just do it, to quote a shoe manufacturer.
· Learn to do without new and utilize what you have from “available materials”.
· Be flexible with your offerings, not just the same old thing
· Go back to the passion you had when you first went into business
· Get back out on the street, wear out a little shoe leather
ADAPT: To adapt means “to adjust or conform; to make suitable to or fit for a specific use or situation”.
The economic climate has changed. What was is no longer. Adapt to the new economy before the new economy makes you a casualty of it. Look at everything you do, from the time you get up in the morning till the time you go to bed and look for where adaptation is necessary.
There are companies that will be out there looking to “eat your lunch” and will do so without looking back and offer no apology. They will look to build their base of business without consideration of profit for the new business they are getting. They will rely on the profit of their existing base to carry them through and in the end, when things turn around, and who knows when that is, they will be ready to reap the financial rewards of all the new business they have gotten.
Adapt to the changes by becoming different, creating new offerings and do so through improvisation and flexibility. Take a chance, step outside your box, get uncomfortable for awhile, it’s OK, the water really is fine, and it’s not too deep.
Be sensitive to the needs of your clients and customers as they too have to adapt to the economic changes at hand, and that which is coming. Be attuned to subtle changes so you can adapt where necessary and always be on the cutting edge, at the forefront of change and learn to embrace change rather than shun it.
In this mans opinion, if you are not willing to adapt, and start adapting now, you will be playing catch-up as your competitors are reaping the rewards.
OVERCOME: It simply means to prevail over or conquer.
Take responsibility, yes, I know everyone says they are responsible for their business, for themselves, so on and so forth. But I must say that what people say and what they actually do, well, they are two different things. To overcome the obstacles that will be coming, if not already here, the business owner must take responsibility for the new condition, evaluate it and make adjustments quickly (improvise & adapt) to climb over, bore through or go around the obstacle. By maintaining a “flexible” attitude new challenges will be less daunting, more successes will be enjoyed and a revived sense of passion will emerge from within and reflect on your business.
OK, everything I have said here seems to imply that I believe that the sky is falling. Let me say, without equivocation, the sky is NOT falling, but challenging times are here and will continue to come for awhile. That being said, there is opportunity with every down turn of an economy, and now is not different. There is opportunity everywhere; you must be willing to look for it by keeping your eyes open and being willing to act when it is present, no procrastination.
In closing I would just like to share a few of my observation about business owners. I have found that they fall into 4 primary groups.
· The Can Doer-High energy, fast paced, nothing gets in their way
· The I’ll Get It Done, My Way person.
· The I’m Everybody’s Friend,
· The I Need to Know More & More &…
Is one type of person more likely to be successful than another, not from my observations. What the successful ones all have in common is passion, passion for their business and life. They never loose sight of why they went into business in the first place. They embrace the principles of Improvise-Adapt & Overcome. They are willing to take risks and manage those risks. They measure their results, some on paper, and others in their head, and they always know where they stand.
In times like now they are searchers, searching for opportunities that others leave behind.
Which one are you? There is a great book, simple to read, a fast read in fact; it is called Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson, MD. With most of my business coaching clients I make it required reading among other books. I suggest that if you have not read it, or it has been awhile, read it
This article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced, published and copied without permission as long as the entire signature is included unaltered.
Michael B. Loewenthal
The Business Coach
Albuquerque, NM
www.TheBusinessCoachABQ.com
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