Productivity during a pandemic is definitely a unique challenge. With companies being thrust into new ways of doing business, it’s only natural that there are challenges to productivity and business itself. Andrew Mellen is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and productivity and organizational expert who is tackling what businesses need to know right now about productivity.
What do we need to know about moving our work from the workplace to home or even back into the workplace after being home?
You need to adjust your mindset to adapting – adapting to the fact that nothing is going to be predictable.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks that people are struggling with is the idea that this is a temporary situation and that things are going to reset themselves back to normal. And when things don’t go back to “normal,” – people get thrown for an emotional, psychological, and even physical loop. The sooner you can let go of this need for things to reset and walk forward with a certain amount of grace and appreciation for the unpredictable, the easier it will be for you to adapt to the next thing that happens.
Whatever the challenge you are facing might be, if you can approach it with a sense of, “This is not surprising…” – the better off you will be. For example, you may find the micro facts are surprising, but the overarching fact that “something has changed” and you couldn’t predict it is no longer surprising – that will help you immensely.
Suzy Kassem, an American writer and poet, said, “Life is no different than the weather. Not only is it unpredictable, but it shows us a new perspective of the world every day.” And while many people thrive on predictability, are you ready to change your expectation that things are going to be unpredictable for a while?
What are the things that business owners need to know or focus on that they can control?
My suggestion is to control the things you can control. Here are some examples of things you can control:
· What time you show up for work
· How you work
· How you stay focused
These are things you have complete control of. Turn the attention back on yourself and your environment to help you face the more unpredictable portions of your life.
And then, once you’ve helped yourself, it’s time to look at your business. Start with some of the big things.
· If you are going to be working remotely, do you still need an office?
· If you still have an office, are you going back to the office?
· What does the office need to look like?
· If most of your people are going to be telecommuting, how do you support that transition?
· What long-term protocols and standard operating procedures need to be established for doing business?
· How are we going to share digital assets?
Answering these questions and having everyone aware and on the same page means that there will be less friction when the things we can’t control crop up.
Businesses that have really good systems in place are easily adapting to the changes. Businesses that are lacking in good systems and communication are struggling during this time. If you find that your business is struggling, now may be the time to get your systems and processes in place to not only help you now but moving forward also.
Is there a blind spot that businesses are experiencing right now?
It goes back to mindset again and seeing this as an opportunity. Not an opportunity to exploit financially, but as an opportunity to take inventory of your business. Use this time as a chance to improve the things you want or need to improve. Don’t procrastinate. Make a choice to meet your obstacles head-on.
When was the last time you took a hard look at your business? Taking inventory of your business is the first step to improving it – and it can be done during difficult times.
3 Action Steps
1. Adjust your mindset to the fact that nothing is going to be predictable and that you are going to need to adapt to change.
2. Focus on the things you can control – both for yourself and for your business.
3. Use this time as an opportunity to improve your business by taking a hard look at what you are doing.
Connect with Andrew Mellen at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewmellen/
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