Make Today "One of these days..."

Shelter in Place. Work from Home.

The physical aspect of this request is easy to grasp. Don’t go out in public and risk accelerating the infection rate. But the psychological and emotional impact is a little more amorphous. Stress may be increased by workload and job demands or by uncertainty and worry.

Some of us have jobs that have become more demanding because of this virus. Some of us have lost our jobs and are stuck in the house with too much time to worry about health or economic conditions. And some of us are just trying to keep the wheels of our businesses turning toward a very uncertain future.

But everyone seems to have fallen victim to Parkinson’s Law as some form of short-term firefighting consumes our time...the job expands to fill the time allotted for it. We somehow don't have any time, despite the fact that we’re not commuting to work, attending conferences, traveling for business meetings, etc.

How are we letting this “found time” slip away? Think how valuable the free hour of a cancelled meeting felt in 2019. Recognize its value and be purposeful with it. Don’t let it be consumed by social media, news feeds, virus strategy pontificators or obsessive scenario-building that will be made obsolete by fresh news later in the day.

Use it to do some of the things that usually follow the words, “one of these days I’d like to....” Use it to reconnect with some old business associates and explore opportunities. To reconsider your overall competitive or go-to-market strategy. To better understand your consumers or customers and their needs. To flesh out your thinking on that innovative concept that’s been percolating in the back of your mind.

We will get through these difficult times. Those who have used at least some of their time to think about the longer term will be in a better position to recover quickly. Make today “one of these days...”

If you'd like to reconnect with an old business associate named Bob or bat around strategies to position your company for success when the dust settles, call me at 847 917 5121. Or email me at BobH@KnowledgeAmp.com