“What will you do? Unprecedented! Profound impact! Uncharted Territory!”
Strong words used frequently at this time by our Prime Minister, our Premiers and each other.
“Never known before, intense/severe force of action, something we’ve never experienced.”
Dictionary meanings that strike fear, nervousness & concern.
So many businesses are suffering right now. Whether they be sole traders, small business, family-run, not for profit.
And so many of the people hurting are our family, our friends, our community. It’s heartbreaking to watch. I see them grieving the loss of their lifelines and the loss of their teams who are more than staff/workers, they are family, their businesses are part of their identity.
Some of us are lucky to be able to hold on to our businesses & jobs. But it’s not easy & is often a sacrifice by the person holding the purse strings. And even though we are holding on, it’s a very different game. We feel our clients suffering, client workload is down, we have space in our once filled calendars, we have time on our hands.
How can we turn around the meanings of: Unprecedented! Profound impact! Uncharted territory!
To invoke challenge, inspiration, fighting spirit. To show we care. What can we do to help and support others and in turn fill our diaries, because we have the privilege of staying in business and hanging on?
Stay connected…. with clients, with associates, with each other. So vitally important. Put the time in the diary as you normally would to call clients who need help and offer advice and counsel in the way you know best.
Provide your expertise to help them through. Advice on business, wellbeing, personal and professional growth & development, team isolation and regrouping, and literally just show them you care. Help them to fill up their spare hours to provide them with hope for the future, whilst increasing their knowledge and abilities for restarting or changing careers.
For our not for profits and people losing or downsizing their businesses by necessity, – these are the people that need the most support. Offer them help and put your spare hours into pro bono work and the return to you will be enormous in terms of your own wellbeing. To feel you are doing something, however big or small, is not just welcoming, it’s a lifeline to staying mentally healthy.
Be creative. Use time wisely to gather information from all your contacts & interactions, to find ways that you will be able to support others as we come out of this void. Understand what will be critical to them and useful to their survival, rebirth & success.
Put your efforts into helping others find their way out… Because there will be a way out, and we need to make sure we bring everyone along.
“No one has ever been poor by giving.”
Anne Frank
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth”.
Mohamed Ali
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another”.
Charles Dickens
