No matter where you go, what you watch, or what you read, it all seems to be bad news. If you open the newspaper, go online, or turn on CNN, you are assaulted with dire assessments about the current and future state of the economy. Tough times, and it may be getting tougher still. Stores are closing, banks are folding, and businesses are struggling to keep their heads above water. But Geoff Ramsey, CEO and Co-Founder of the vaunted E-Marketer has in a recent column declared that staying positive is good for business.
It may sound simple. In fact, it may even sound simplistic, but the fact is Ramsey is correct in his assessment. Without a positive outlook, you are weighing the odds against your survival. With odds being tight as it is, there is no reason to tilt your advantages so that they work against you. I was especially taken with Ramsey’s opinion that you should focus on the conditions where you actually have control. Good point. We can’t control the banks, the government, or the economic collapse of Iceland. but we can control our own business, review our own strengths and opportunities, and, most importantly, invest in the future.
Investing in the future means cutting costs on one hand, while developing technology and practices that pay will pay off over time. It means recruiting the right talent and developing your staff through your preemployment screening program so that you have the right balance and the right depth of skill sets among your employees. It is no easy task, I realize, and I also realize that from a psychological standpoint it is difficult to gear up when everyone else seems to be cutting back. And of course there are consequences and the chance of failure. But if you do success, you do survive, then you will probably emerge from this economic mess as a stronger company with a greater market share. You will appear like a genius. The media will want to interview you and ask the the secret of your success.
And what will you tell them? “I thought positive and took bold steps when everyone else seemed afraid.” Maybe something like that.
check them out before you hire.
