Someone said to me once, “We are today in life exactly where we choose to be”. I always thought that could be a bit blunt, but when you think about it, it is very true. The choices we have made have led us to where we are today. We are all free to make whatever decisions we make in life, but we have to be prepared to live with those consequences. If we don’t like the result, then we need to make a different choice. So how do we know if we are making the right or wrong decision? – Well, I guess only time will tell.
As I write this article, I have seen so many posts recently in light of government decisions to leave it to Business leaders and business owners for them to make their own decisions re the Covid issue. As I said in a recent post on Facebook that as Business owners we are free to do business with whoever we want and to make whatever decisions we make. If the general public don’t like those decisions, then they don’t have to spend money with our business. Some pubs and restaurants have said they are going to stick with government suggestions, some shops have said they won’t serve anyone who does not wear a mask in their premises. That’s fine but we have to be aware that we could be losing some big ongoing customers or clients with these decisions. We could also gain some clients or customers as a result of the decisions we make. Whatever those decisions, we need to be prepared that we have to live with the consequences – and those consequences could be long lasting.
What we could do – and I have seen a number of businesses go this way – is understand there is a middle ground, and we need to be able to relate to all customers or clients and the way they are feeling. The long term benefits of this – in my opinion – will lead to a more secure business. We have to remember that the decisions we make should not be based purely for a week or a month or a few months but potentially for years. So we could be making a decision based on this month – and next month could be different – whereas we need to be making a decision that won’t keep changing with government guidelines, but could see us through the next few years.
Any business – irrespective of what we are going through – needs to have a long term plan and vision, and be able to be relatable to as many people as possible if they want to build a long term secure business. We really don’t want to alienate anyone. Maybe we need to be reviewing how we run our business and whether we could be doing anything different. Maybe we could create a new opportunity or a new way of conducting business. Thinking outside the box could create a trend that other businesses may follow. The challenge is if times are tough – as they currently are – making these decisions on our own could be difficult. Why not speak with people who are not directly connected with your business, people who have business experience, those who have gone through tough times – see what they think. This is exactly why I am a true advocate of businesses using professional help and support to help build a better business, and to have a coach or mentor. We cannot and should not make decisions that could really impact the future of our businesses on our own – especially if we are going into unchartered waters.
I am always here to help if you want a chat. Just drop me an email through LinkedIn or email me at richard@lionheartmanagement.co.uk
This article was first published on LinkedIn by Richard Knight on 26/07/2021