Melbourne weather is so unpredictable, it a can be foggy, cold and not a pleasant day and a few hours later you would have thought that you were in another state (like sunny Queensland).
How quickly things can change, from being gloomy to a brighter day.
The same goes for a day in the life of a business owner. You walk into work and already things are not going as planned. You need to address issues that have come to your attention. They have called in saying they are not well and will not be in today. The supplier you expected to make a delivery today have postponed the delivery. The systems are not working like your internet. The list goes on.
So, does the start of the day determine how you finish your day?
I know you’re probably saying, Androulla but how can I turn things around?
There are things in business we cannot CONTROL or INFLUENCE, just like the weather. Here you need to put less focus on those things and more emphasis on the changes you can make.
Let me give you a few examples. Your staff rings to tell you that they are not coming in today. Your first reaction might be, “Oh No!” Panic might set in and all these questions come to mind.
A way to work through this is to ask the staff member that rang in sick what are the things that MUST be addressed today. Those are the things to focus on. Just a tip, to avoid having to learn things on the fly and go into reactive mode, I would suggest having procedures on tasks your staff do. This way when someone is away another person can complete the work.
If your internet is down, call people who are expecting things from you today and let them know the situation. Communication with those involved is vital in cases like this. Use this time to do things in your business that you have been meaning to do but just haven’t put time aside to do. Things that don’t involve the internet. For example, having team meetings, filling documents, cleaning the work space.
By taking a not so ideal situation and making the most of it, can change the outcome of your day and those involved.
Each day set the intention to have a brighter day for you and your staff.
EmpowerBeyond – Business Performance Solutions, focusing on people, process, products and services and improving productivity and cash flow www.empowerbeyond.com.au