Yet, amidst the chaos and confusion, companies such as Honda who recently reported $1.7 billion in profits, and Southwest who once again reported another profitable quarter with 15% increase over a year ago are continuing to thrive.  How do they do it?  The answers as Bill Taylor comments, “don’t just speak to these organizations, but to the new logic of competition itself.”

Bill Taylor brilliantly outlines these three steps smart companies can take to not only survive but thrive in an economy that takes no prisoners. 

1.    Be “the most” of something. 

First, high-performing companies understand that it’s not enough to be “pretty good” at everything anymore. As a company, you have to be the most of something—the most exclusive, the most affordable, the most responsive, the most friendly. In an age of hyper-competition and non-stop innovation, the middle of the road leads to nowhere.  Think Honda … low cost, high value.  Southwest, low fares, great service.  Hmmm… is there a theme here?

2.    Stick to the core. 

The problem with many big companies is that all they do is change. Too much diversification leads to chronic inconsistency.  Consider both Honda and Southwest who have stuck to their core purpose of low price, high value remaining unmoved by gas prices or technological advancements.

3.    Company as cause.  

Both of these high performing companies connect with their customers on an emotional level.  If they were to disappear tomorrow, there would be a gap that is irreplaceable in the eyes of their customers.  What would your customers do if your company or seized to exist?  The answer may reveal everything you need to know about thriving in the new competitive economy.  

Life today is different in ways we never expected. We live in a world that seems irrevocably altered.  As author Marianne Williamson states in her compelling book, The Gift of Change, The speed of change today is faster than the human psyche seems able to handle, and its increasingly difficult to reconcile the rhythms of our personal lives with the rapidity of a twenty-four-hour news cycle.

The threats and opportunities facing us have never been greater.  Millions of workers have been downsized, upsized, right-sized and resized as gyrations in the economy affect companies and organizations of every size. Things we thought stable and secure seem less so and things we thought distant possibilities have come strangely close. 

In my training and consulting work with organizations and individuals, I’ve noticed a pervasive anxiety that is understandable but not always easy to talk about.  What I find compelling is that people conspire with each other to pretend things are basically okay while trying to balance the enormity of their concerns by checking e-mails hundreds of times per day, hoping for an interesting distraction. Keeping things “light and casual” seems to be the norm in a world that has us more on edge than we’d like to admit.

Now what?

6 Strategies for Riding the Change Curve:

1. The most important thing to remember during times of change is to focus on the things that do not change. What are the enduring principles at play that will never change?
2. Speak, listen and engage with emotional honesty. Come out from behind yourself into the deeper conversation.
3. Find the gift in change.  Take inventory of the changes in your personal and professional life that have resulted in an important transformation.
4. Focus on what you can control. Realize when we are at the effect of anxiety, fear and frustration solutions are hindered.  Focus instead on the small, incremental things you can do to influence a situation. 
5. Challenge your own paradigms and perceptions. Challenge yourself to look at weighty issues from a new perspective – a new lens of possibility.
6. Slow down.  The path to power will not emerge from electronic speed but a voice of calm, still, certainty.
   No matter what challenges lie ahead, I’m convinced we can all break through the veil of fear and indifference that exists in our world.  Sure it is difficult. But embracing our challenges with emotional integrity, transparency, hope and responsibility is the alchemy of personal transformation.

Are you in?
 

If you are dealing with fear and anxiety at the office, here are four strategies you can apply right away:

1. Focus on the changeless core.  When times are turbulent, and so much feels out of control, reinforce the things that will NOT change.  This reminder of your team’s values, principles, goals and commitments will create a solid foundation for stakeholders to stand on. 
2. Focus on new opportunities.  Rather than relying on yesterday’s solutions to drive results today, enroll people in the possibility of creating an entirely new way of achieving results.  Gather the team together to solicit new ideas, new resources new strategies for creating an entirely new game of success.
3. Focus on today.  Uncertainty often causes people to have a high level of fear and anxiety about the future.  By focusing on today, you support healthy performanced based on reality – rather than focusing on an imagined future.  As my grandmother used to say, “don’t borrow worry from tomorrow!” 
4. Increase communication.  Uncertainty can drive people into themselves, making them feel isolated and fearful.  The best strategy here is to spend time walking the hallways, checking in with people, tapping in to body language and unspoken resignation or fear. Listen to their concerns with respect, coaching them to take one action that could make a difference.  Be sure to provide positive feedback to reinforce positive changes.

1. State it simply.  You are trying to create a simple idea that every employee has in mind as the guiding goal.
2. Cast it convincingly.  Define the problem, the solution and why it’s important now. 
3. Repeat it regularly.  Leaders always feel as if they repeat the vision often.  However, as often as you think you do, it’s not enough.  Determine the best time to communicate your team’s vision and do it regularly. 
4. Celebrate it systematically.  People repeat what gets rewarded.  At staff meetings, give your people a chance to share instances where they have seen the company vision on display through the actions of teammates. Use their stories to underscore the values of your organization. 
5. Embrace it personally and publicly.  Living the vision daily gives you credibility as a leader.  If you aren’t committed, your people won’t be either.