Flip Your
Thinking to Survive the Economic Downturn: Five Ways to Remain a
Company Asset
By Pat
Heydlauff
Are
you an asset or a liability to the survival of your company during
this economic downturn? No matter who you are or what your job
description is, you’ve probably thought “Am I the next to go?” You
don’t have to be so worried about losing your job, if you flip your
thinking.
“Think
survival! Employees and employers alike should be thinking about how
to improve the long term survival of their business,” said the CEO
of a major privately held corporation. This thought process isn’t
just top down or bottom up but needs to be inside out thinking.
The
CEO went on to say, “businesses cannot afford to lose market share
nor dip into operating capital because there will be no resources
left for marketing, advertising and hiring when the economy does
rebound. That’s when the company gets in real trouble. If a company
loses its market share and depletes its capital it will not survive
- no matter how good the economy might get. Therefore, businesses
need everyone to think survival, reduce expenses and look for ways
to change for the better without any negative financial impact on
existing capital.”
Whatever it takes to help a business survive needs to be done
because it means jobs survive … if you are an asset, you will
survive as part of the team. In a major economic downturn it’s no
longer business as usual. It’s about thinking in a new way so that
everyone wins. If the company wins, you win by receiving an income
and being able to support yourself and your family. If the company
loses you and several of your associates may become that liability
the company can no longer afford instead of an asset that is
essential for helping the company survive.
While
there are times, circumstances and events that require a company to
make hard decisions about the future, including yours, so it can
survive, there are things you can do to help level the playing field
in your direction. Here are five things you can do to make yourself
an asset:
1)
Eliminate energy drainers in
your workspace and organize it so you can find anything you need at
a moment’s notice. Time is money, after all. Be merciless and
maintain it regularly. You will save time and money by using fewer
supplies and being more productive.
2)
Upgrade your thinking.
It’s not just about you - it’s about all of you surviving.
Flip your thinking to “we” mode not “them versus us” mode. We are
all in this together. It’s not about you surviving but rather the
company surviving so all of you can make it through the downturn and
all of you can take part in the upturn whether it’s six or sixteen
months from now.
3)
Focus on the most important things
you have to accomplish in a day and do them first. Put aside the
instant messaging, texting and Twittering for after hours. Get rid
of all the personal pictures and items on your desk and walls. They
all serve to distract you from the job at hand. If you must
multi-task, stay focused on the big picture and what will help you
help the company survive. Focusing makes you more efficient,
effective and valuable.
4)
Think teamwork!
It
isn’t about management versus everyone else or one department versus
another. It’s about getting the job done in a timely fashion and
helping each other when necessary. It’s about cutting as many costs
in as many ways as possible. Encourage and motivate each other.
Think like a championship football team, or the swimming team that
helped Michael Phelps win his eighth Olympic Gold Medal. Your Gold
Medal is the survival of the company you work for and the survival
of your job because you are an asset.
5) Do
something creative
on your lunch hour or after work to get the right side of your brain
working. It’s the right side of the brain that helps you create new
ideas and solve problems such as getting through this economic
downturn. An employee is an asset when he or she can find ways to
solve problems improve survivability and increase market share
without financial impact. This type of break-through thinking comes
through creativity. Right brain activities include things like
playing an instrument, writing, painting, sculpting, quiet walks in
nature or meditation. If you’re stuck at your desk, take a few
minutes to do some creative visualization. Close your eyes and
mentally visit a place you love - remembering to breathe deeply
while in that frame of mind.
A
business needs to constantly change for the better and they need
everyone on the team to think as one. Each member of that team is
both a liability and expense for the business or an asset and a
growth grower who will help the company produce and change for the
better. In order to be on the asset side of the equation think “we!”
The more productive and efficient you are, the more you will be seen
as an irreplaceable asset so you can survive the economic downturn.
Read other articles and learn more about
Pat Heydlauff.
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