Change is all we hear about these days. The candidates promise change, and thanks to the roller coaster ride on Wall Street, most of us could use a change of scenery. But the truth is that change is often difficult.
When the economy forces businesses and individuals to make changes they may not be ready for, the results can be paralyzing. Some see only risk, so they cut back or just hunker down. But others see opportunity and are energized by hope.
For Colorado public relations firms, this kind of introspection can be a good thing. It allows us to help our clients examine their priorities and develop a strategic plan to move forward. Whether we see the glass as half full or half empty, there are some simple steps any business can take to address the challenges that lie ahead.
Do more with less. Reduce waste, increase efficiency, and set some goals. Focus on your strengths. Do not try to be all things to all people.
Be creative. New media tools like
Twitter and
LinkedIn allow us to communicate today in ways we never could have imagined 10 years ago. Learn how technology can help you reach and communicate with audiences in a way that resonates.
Focus on what matters. Whether you are a healthcare or nonprofit organization, a financial planning firm or a university, all this uncertainty makes employees, patients, donors, clients, students and other stakeholders stressed out and anxious. Do not add to their stress. Constantly and consistently reassure them that you understand their concerns.
Seize the day. If your competitors are sitting in the sideline, now is the time to take the ball and run with it. Invest in your business and hit one out of the park before they know what hit them.
I have to admit, last week was a bad week. Seeing all those grainy black and white photos of people standing in soup lines during the Great Depression plastered across the cover or front page of every magazine and newspaper in the country was downright depressing. Not to mention listening to all the experts on TV predicting another one.
What makes matters worse for those of us in the Boomer generation is the everyday realty of taking care of our aging parents. Their generation was tough enough to survive the Great Depression, and that experience taught them several very important lessons. Always pay in cash. Never go into debt. Never waste anything; you never know where your next meal is coming from. Save as much as possible.
Our parents were independent people. They hated depending on anyone else and they never wanted to put themselves in that situation. Now many of their generation find themselves living out their lives in long-term care facilities, spending the inheritance they planned to leave to their children and depending on total strangers to take care of them.
In fact, the healthcare and long-term care industries are two sectors that are going strong even as the rest of the economy tanks. From geriatric medicine to joint replacement to home care and assisted living, many of the fastest growing jobs in America involve taking care of our aging population. And as the Boomers age the need will continue to grow.
As I make more frequent visits to see my mother in a long-term care facility two thousand miles from my home, I am struck by several lessons of my own. Never forget to treat people with dignity. Always treat people with respect. A smile gets you much farther than getting angry. Customer service is essential, no matter what business you are in. Life is short and unpredictable; enjoy every moment. Save as much as possible.
Sometimes history has a way of repeating itself. This time, I am confident that as the economy begins to recover we will realize what went wrong and how to avoid it the next time. And although this is certainly a dark cloud, the silver lining may be in the thousands of new jobs, new technologies and opportunities we are creating in the healthcare and long-term care industries.
