This is a reprint of the present time sensitve tips by Michael J. Berthelot, CEO of Cito Capital Corp. and a speaker on corporate governance issues that as businss owners and CEO's we should adhere to.
Here are the tips to how you should position your attidute to maximize your health for life:
1.) Lead By Example
-- This is not the time to buy a flashy new car or talk about an upcoming Caribbean vacation. Recognize the difficulty that everyone finds themselves in and understand that your employees are looking to you for leadership and direction. Stay focused on what you can control and do what you do best. Avoid distractions and time and emotion-wasting activities.
2.) Keep a Positive Attitude
-- Doom and gloom at the top is quickly noticed and spreads through your employees like a disease. Stay focused on the long term and have confidence in your and their ability to do what you do best. Don’t let the weight of unrelated situations, such as the stock market and politics, depress your outlook.
3.) Recognize Success
-- Be vigilant in identifying successes by employees and celebrate them. Pizza and beer never tasted so good as when celebrating one new client, product, or accomplishment when times are tough.
4.) Share the Pain
-- When cuts in salary, benefits, or hours become necessary, your employees will be watching to see if you walk the walk of sharing the pain. Take a bigger piece of the downside. As they say in the infantry, officers eat last.
5.) Keep it Real
-- Don’t wear rose-colored glasses and spew mindless happy talk, but don’t be a Cassandra either. Be realistic and focus on facts, not hyperbole, rumor, or the latest pundit’s opinion. Remember that the people on TV are entertainers first and informed journalists second (if ever). They really don’t know any more than you do. Keep yourself and your people focused on the facts as you see them.
6.) Set Goals
-- Don’t allow the uncertainty of the general situation to impact your desire and ability to set and strive to achieve realistic goals. The goals may be different or not quite the stretch goals of the past, but without goals your team is drifting without direction. That is never a good situation and can be disastrous in tough times.
7.) Invest in the Future
-- Tough times present opportunities to invest in your business and people. Use down time for training, learning, and researching the things you couldn’t when you were swamped with work. Plan to exit the bad times with a stronger and well-prepared group of people. Your employees will be more confident in their future if they know that you are investing in it.
8.) Take Care of Yourself
-- Stress kills. Take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. Keep yourself physically fit, exercise, and watch your diet and alcohol intake. You can’t help others if you can’t help yourself first. Encourage your employees to do the same.
9.) Be Thankful
-- Times may be tough, but this is still the best country in the world to live in and to weather the storm. Your family still loves you and so does your dog. Be appreciative of what you have rather than dwelling on what has been lost. Say thank you to your employees for their dedication, loyalty, and sacrifice. They will appreciate it.
10.) Have Some Fun
-- Keep the fun in the business. No need for a trip to Las Vegas, but an outing to a ball game, a mid-afternoon movie break, or an afternoon of beach or golf time will keep the memory of the good times alive. Laugh a lot and enjoy the little victories that life brings you.
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