Mediaboss Marketing

MALAYSIA as a nation has completed four weeks of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and semi lockdown period.

And there is a strong suspicion that we are going to continue with imposing stricter measures to combat the spread of the virus that seems to be besieging the whole world at the moment.

The hardest hit in our communities are the underprivileged, the poor, the disenfranchised, the refugees, the physically disabled, and of course our four-pawed friends.

Ask yourself what you can do in a small way, to alleviate the troubles of the people around you!

In my case, I have used my food and beverage business, The Fire Grill restaurant to start a drive to raise funds from friends and family, colleagues and clients, as well as my followers on social media, to help provide meals for the people who need it most.

Over a period of 10 short days, with the generous contributions of my kind friends, my team and I have raised over RM30,000.00 to provide 4,400 meals to the underprivileged and to our frontline heroes.

I know that this is just a tiny fraction of what is needed in our country at the moment. But we plough ahead, because most of all, our efforts show my team and I that we must, and can, focus only on solutions and not the problems.

Even at work, with all the uncertainties everyone is facing, it becomes significant for you to just focus on the solutions ahead, as opposed to thinking constantly about all your difficulties.

The world is bracing for the seemingly inevitable rapid increase in the Covid-19 pandemic.

In some ways, many parts of the world have already been overcome by paralysis, and fear has isolated millions of people.

Businesses and your organisations cannot delude yourselves by saying that you will not be affected by this. We are all affected, but we are all in this together.

These are some things that I feel you should concentrate on as you think about the potential solutions at this time of dire need for you, your family and your career.

Everyone has to remember, whether you are a leader, employee or even as a self-employed person, that communication is paramount. Learn quickly to communicate with clarity and empathy.

Employees, clients, and your consumers need to know that you have their best interests at heart.

In this crisis situation, although a solution has not been found yet, the people who depend on you must know who they can communicate with. If you are a leader, dont wait until you have all the relevant information at hand, before communicating in a crisis.

Even if you start by identifying the underlying difficulties that you and your organisation may have to face in the near future, your people will feel that at least they have a boss who is capable of addressing what everyone is thinking.

This emergency isn't your fault as the leader, so you do not have to take any blame. But recognise that it will cause some harm or inconvenience to the people who work within your teams. So, talking openly with your team is the way forward.

The next thing I recommend that you do, is to concentrate on developing a resolution to solve the problem. The people who work with you need to know that you are making an ongoing effort to rectify their problems, and you are handling their fears.

If you show that your company is determined to help your team as much as possible, it will offer some semblance of hope to employees, and even stakeholders.

You have to communicate in a manner that induces confidence, and shows that you are competent to handle the crisis. But most importantly, you will have to be completely honest about what you are facing.

As you communicate with sincerity, you will demonstrate your ability as a good leader.

Perhaps the most critical thing to develop during this period is a growth mindset, or what is termed, an entrepreneurial mindset.

This simply means that you accept that you are in control of your own ability and you recognise that you can learn, and improve under any circumstances.

Many people who start businesses end up failing because they don't have this mindset.

It is only the people who have this type of steadfastness who can manage the robustness of a new enterprise. And it is having this robust mindset that will help you find solutions, fix problems, and prevent them from recurring again.

This way you are able to handle any crisis that besets you right now.

Develop the confidence, and build your competency up, through the belief that you have the capacity to ride through the difficulties.

The single most important thing you can do right now, is to quickly learn to identify the people who are toxic in your life, and at work. The chances are extremely high that when calamity strikes, toxicity also increases.

These people may even be friends, or family members. Don't let them confuse you. Stay focused and be single minded in your recovery.

Remember, we are all in this together.

Shankar R. Santhiram is managing consultant and executive leadership coach at EQTD Consulting. He is also the author of the national bestseller So, You Want To Get Promoted?

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times

Originally posted here:
Work Matters! What will save you now? - New Straits Times