1st February 2010 | By Graham Crombie - CEO
As I noted last post I have spent my holiday break doing some thinking and a wide range of reading. Tom Peters has always been a favourite of mine (tompeters.com).
I was lucky enough to meet him a couple of years ago and I have followed his thinking since then as he challenges organisational thinking. In a recent post he responded to the question he is often asked – what are some “strategies/‘secrets’ for surviving the recession?
He provided the following list under the heading - Forty-six “Secrets” and “Clever Strategies” For Dealing with the Recession;
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Forty-six “Secrets” and “Clever Strategies”
- You come to work earlier.
- You leave work later.
- You work harder.
- You may well work for less; and, if so, you adapt to the untoward circumstances with a smile - even if it kills you inside.
- You volunteer to do more.
- You dig deep, deeper, deepest - and always bring a good attitude to work.
- You fake it if your good attitude flags.
- You literally practice your “game face” in the mirror in the morning, and in the loo mid-morning.
- You give new meaning to the idea and intensive practice of “visible management.”
- You take better than usual care of yourself and encourage others to do the same - physical well-being significantly impacts mental well-being and response to stress.
- You shrug off shit that flows downhill in your direction - buy a shovel or a “pre-worn” raincoat on eBay.
- You try to forget about “the good old days” - nostalgia is self-destructive. (And bores others.)
- You buck yourself up with the thought that “this too shall pass” - but then remind yourself that it might not pass any time soon, and so you re-dedicate yourself to making the absolute best of what you have now.
- You work the phones and then work the phones some more - and stay in touch with and on the mind of positively everyone.
- You frequently invent breaks from routine, including “weird” ones—“changeups” prevent wallowing and bring a fresh perspective.
- You eschew all forms of personal excess.
- You simplify.
- You sweat the details as never before.
- You sweat the details as never before.
- You sweat the details as never before.
- You raise to the sky and maintain at all costs the Standards of Excellence by which you unfailingly and unflinchingly evaluate your own performance.
- You are maniacal when it comes to responding to even the slightest screw-up.
- You find ways to be around young people and to keep young people around—they are less likely to be members of the “sky is falling” school.
- You learn new tricks of your trade.
- You pass old tricks of the trade on to others—mentoring matters now more than ever.
- You invest heavily in your computer-Internet-Web2.0-“cloud” skills.
- You remind yourself that this is not just something to be “gotten through”—it is the Final Exam of Competence, Character and, even if you’re not a boss, Leadership.
- You network like a demon.
- You network like a demon inside the company—get to know more of the folks who “do the real work,” and are/can be your most important allies when it comes to getting things done seamlessly and fast.
- You network like a demon outside the company—get to know more of the folks “down the line,” who “do the real work” in vendor-customer outfits and can be your biggest allies and champions.
- You thank others by the truckload if good things happen—and take the heat yourself if bad things happen.
- You behave kindly, but you don't sugarcoat or hide the truth—humans are startlingly resilient and rumours are the real killers.
- You treat small successes as if they were World Cup victories—and celebrate and commend accordingly.
- You shrug off the losses (ignoring what's going on in your tummy), and get back on the horse and immediately try again.
- You avoid negative people to the extent you can—pollution kills.
- You eventually read the gloom-sprayers the riot act. (Gloom is the ultimate WMD at a time like this.)
- You give new meaning to the word “thoughtful.”
- You don’t put limits on the budget for flowers—“bright and colorful” works marvels.
- You redouble; re-triple your efforts to “walk in your customer’s shoes.” (Especially if the shoes smell.)
- You mind your manners—and accept others’ lack of manners in the face of their strains.
- You are kind to all mankind.
- You keep your shoes shined.
- You leave the blame game at the office door.
- You call out the congenital politicians in no uncertain terms.
- You become a paragon of personal accountability.
- And then you pray!
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Peters notes that these aren’t a bad recipe in good times as well. Not bad advice overall.
Feel free to contact me at graham.crombie@ph.co.nz
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