Melbourne weather is so unpredictable, it 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. In business, learning how to turn a gloomy day into a brighter one often comes down to developing the right resilience mindset — the ability to adapt, refocus, and lead with clarity even when things don’t go as planned.
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. Staff have called in saying they are not well and will not be in today. The supplier you expected to make a delivery today has 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?
Developing a Resilience Mindset to Turn a Gloomy Day Into a Brighter One
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. This shift in mindset builds resilience and allows you to respond calmly rather than react emotionally.
Let me give you a few examples. Your staff member 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 who 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. This practical approach strengthens your resilience mindset and supports smoother operations during unexpected disruptions.
If your internet is down, call anyone who is expecting something 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 made time for. Things that don’t involve the internet. For example, holding team meetings, filing documents, and cleaning the workspace. These small but intentional actions can help turn a gloomy day into a brighter one by focusing on what is still within your control.
By taking a not so ideal situation and making the most of it, can change the outcome of your day and those involved. This is where true resilience in business shows up — not in perfect days, but in how you respond to imperfect ones.
Each day set the intention to have a brighter day for you and your staff.
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