Everyone is scared — but you have the talent and tools to take advantage of this situation RIGHT NOW.
Let’s get right to it – here are the first five. The second five will appear tomorrow. Stay tuned!
1. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid.
The news is sensationalized and fear sells. Things are rarely as good as they seem and things are rarely as bad as they seem. If you allow yourself to give in to the news, you will determine your destiny. When people tell me about the bad economy, I tell them “I have chosen not to participate.”
2. Reach out to your contacts – NOW.
Past and present contacts, colleagues and friends are the lifeblood of any career (“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”). The ’robustness’ and recency of your contact list is a great barometer of your career’s health. Call your closest contacts & colleagues and ask them how they are. Listen. Don’t talk, offer help. Have lunch, drink coffee, and strengthen those contacts! Send birthday or ‘just for being you’ cards to keep in touch and make them feel special. No one does this and it makes the recipient feel special.
3. Focus on what you do best.
You need to present a extremely positive persona to management – this is the time where they might be looking at cutting the bottom 10%. Be a partner to your boss – ask for more work. No one really does it and you will stand out as a “can-do” member of their team. Come in early or stay late (or do both!). The perception of a hard worker is a valuable one during bad times. In addition, you might be there when your boss comes back from a grueling exec meeting and needs help with the newly assigned project. Be smart and flexible – look at all of your activities and projects – which ones are more important and which are the ones that can be shelved, streamlined or retired? The 80/20 rule comes into play – make a list and then review with your boss.
4. Keep your ear to the ground.
It is essential in down times to have a clear picture of where your company’s revenues and expenses come from. Companies are retrenching and focusing on the areas that will deliver the highest ROI. Stand back and see what projects, departments, or people are slated to be cut. Ask questions, read industry journals/blogs, and keep up on the business news. Track your company on the web – sometimes you hear something that isn’t currently communicated in your company. But take it with a grain of salt. Listen to what your colleagues are saying – but don’t accept it as gospel. Also, don’t add to the gossip or play “what-if” scenarios with them – it will waste time.
5. Look at your “product”.
It’s IMAGE, IMAGE, IMAGE. How do you clothes look? How does your hair look? How do YOU look? Hate to say it – it’s perception people. Not only when people first meet you – it’s when they work with you day in and day out. Critically look at yourself and see what you might need to change and how you would go about it.Always dress one step above everyone else. No excuses. If everyone is casual, you wear country-club casual. Ensure that your clothes are made of the highest quality and are regularly pressed and clean. Spend the money and go to a better barber/stylist. I don’t have much to work with and I still go to one of the most expensive barbers in the area. He makes me look as good as I can. Do you need to tone your physique? Hit the gym – watch what you eat. It’s that simple.
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