The Great Reset - Part Two
We are in difficult times here in the United States and around the globe. As some areas of the United States are slowly reopening to restart the economy, other areas are going for a longer lockdown all due to COVID-19. If you had asked me at the beginning of 2020 what I felt the year will hold, I would have told you promise, progress, goals being met and prosperity. Two months in (at least for me partly due to the tornado in Nashville) I sit here and wonder what is the world going to look like.
In these two months, in fact, most likely another month to a month and a half for me, we have sat at home; binge watched countless hours of Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+; listened to music; played with our pets; talked via Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype; started plans for a better future; and some may have created the next best idea. Regardless of where you have found yourself in the spectrum of the day to day of quarantine, realize this, that no matter what you have done or what you haven’t done you are surviving and will be okay. You see we are all dealing with this situation differently and can have high’s and low’s. None of us know what tomorrow holds and we have to live for today.
When all of this started, a lot of us felt shellshocked and bewildered about what was happening. The tangible feeling of fear, hopelessness, and uncertainty, permeated the air. You could feel it and even now going into an essential business you can feel it. Many have been furloughed, laid off, shutdown their dream business, lost everything, concerned about paying their bills, putting food on the table, and so much more. Businesses are re-evaluating their structure, profitability, safety for their employees, expenditures, and so much more. We are all in a constant battle of when will this end and pure raw emotions of loneliness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and so much more. This is the world we live in right now; however, it is not the world we will live in the future. Though I have personally fought a lot of these battles, I do know that there is hope for a better tomorrow. It may be different than what we were looking at before the lockdowns; however, it will be bright. We all have to make conscious decisions to move forward.
In the business worlds, bosses are being exposed and true leaders are coming to the forefront. The hard decisions of trying to have the business be viable for when the doors open up and the economy comes roaring back. Many businesses have seen a decrease in revenue or a complete halt of revenue. These are trying times affecting not only large businesses; however, in some cases decimating small businesses. The one thing to remember regardless the size of the organization these are our neighbors, friends, family members, and other loved ones that are being impacted. Businesses are having to recalibrate from a growth mindset to a survival mindset.
I read a quote and I may not quote it right nor can find the source; however, someone stated that you can tell the bosses that have never had to live paycheck to paycheck before by the way they treat their staff during this time. This may be a true statement; however, if you do a quick Google search you find that roughly 60-80% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck (this would include said boss). Just because our managers, supervisors, executives, and some C-Suite make way more than the entry level does, it does not mean everything is financially sound with them nor they do not feel empathy towards their employees.
Dave Ramsey and many other financial experts tell us to have a rainy day fund of at least six months of bills to weather a loss of job or decrease in income. I personally was on my way of getting this taken care of this year; however, COVID-19 changed that for me. Though I am not where I want to be I now have a fire to get there. I would suggest for individuals/families, businesses, and governments to begin a plan to create an emergency fund to be in a better situation in the future for whatever may come our way. As an Eagle Scout, one of the sayings is Be Prepared. Right now we need to start being prepared for the future, while living for today.
Organizations are having a tough time as they are wanting to open back up; however, is the opening going to be safe. Employees are stuck between losing a job and unemployment benefits if they don’t feel safe going back to work. It is a fine line that everyone is walking and there is so much uncertainty as what COVID-19 will do. Will there be a second wave? Will the second wave be more deadly than the first? We can put all the data in computers and forecast outcomes; however, those outcomes may not be real life actualities. It is becoming more of until we are in the midst of the crisis will we know the true facts of the situation.
So this long intro is bringing me to a couple of ideas to bring hope and sustainability during this time and the opening of business and economies here in the US and around the world.
Personal
Take the time to evaluate if you are where you want to be. If you are not come up with a plan to correct course.
Begin to set up your emergency fund and begin to payoff debt that is anchoring you from freedom.
Discover your passions and align your life to support those passions.
Connect connect connect!
Get out of the house and talk a walk. Pick up the phone and call.
Dig deeper into your faith.
Work on becoming a whole person. Mind, Soul, Spirit, Emotion, Body!
Business
Begin the process of creating an emergency fund.
Train your managers to not be bosses; however, to be leaders (this is a trainable trait).
Decimate silo’s all the way to the top of the organization. Silo’s create alienation and limit creativity. You never know, someone in your organization may just have the right idea that will catapult the business for the next 100 years no matter what department they are in or what title they hold.
Communicate communicate communicate. I can not stress this enough. Email’s, phone calls, workplace messages, or however, your organization chooses. A true leader trust and cares about their teams and will make the human connection to check in during this time and in the future. You can not lead if you do not know your team!
Realign business models. Look at what is being a waste of resources and realign with those that need more funding as they are being more profitable. Take the emotion out and look at the data. Is a program not coming to fruition? Dig deep and figure out if the program/project is going to be a viable source of income or is it time to pull the plug and move those resources to other areas.
Remember you are in the business of humans. It takes humans to do the work of the organization and humans to purchase the product of your organization.
Evaluate your culture. Is it toxic? Is it positive? Ask questions to those within and truly find out. It is one thing if the upper levels of the organization thinks the culture is great and it is not translating to the lower levels of the organization. Again remove the silos and blinders and you might find out some great things or things that need to be tweaked.
Be open, honest, and transparent.
Finally, truly listen and try to gain understanding.
These are some ideas and they all can be flushed out to more in-depth conversations. Remember we are all in this together. We will all come out of this and be better. Be humble. Be kind. Be supportive. Be compassionate. Be human!
Be Bold! Be Courageous! Be Fearless!
Now is the time to soar!
Joel
PODCAST IS COMING SOON!
The Great Reset - Part One
We are in the midst of something most of us have never seen before in our lives. In fact, you would have to go back to World War II and the Great Depression era to get somewhat of an idea of what is going on. Governments worldwide are grappling with how to combat COVID-19 and keep their citizens safe, as well as, making sure the economy is still working. Mass panic set and an eerie sense was in the air. Toilet paper shortages, mask shortages, PPE shortages, ventilator shortages, cleaning supply shortages, and the list can go on and on. Many are working from home; whereas, others are sitting at home wondering when they will get back to work and if their employer is going to reopen once the mandates have been lifted. There is uncertainty and isolation both having its toll on people’s mental health. All this to say we do have hope and we do have a path out. The world we live in will definitely look different than it did before the COVID-19 pandemic; however, we are humans, we adapt, and in fact things may be better when this is all said and done.
Here are somethings that I have noticed during this time. First, many people are stuck at home working as they have to work remote right now; or they are furloughed due to their jobs not being essential; and others that have been completely let go. The COVID-19 pandemic is not only affecting the immune systems of millions of people worldwide, it is also affecting the livelihoods of millions upon millions of people worldwide. Many small, medium, and large businesses are completely shuttered and hoping to weather this storm as well. The recovery may or may not be swift; however, the world has always come back from economic downturns and pandemics and this situation will not be any different.
Many people are being isolated with family, roommates, or by themselves. All are processing these current states of events differently and are being affected by it somehow. Some are processing the loss of income and job security; others are dealing with the actual illness and the fear of what will happen next. The emotional state of this pandemic may be more deadly than the actual illness itself. Many are dealing with their personal demons and figuring out how to become healthy. Others are in survival mode trying to figure out how they are going to make ends meet and how to keep themselves safe; as well as, those they care about being safe. Some are battling anxiety, depression, fear, stress, and so many other emotions that getting out of bed and moving to the living room is a chore upon itself. Then there are others that are planning their next moves and how they are going to use this time to start and finish projects that they never had the time to do. Some are coming up with new business opportunities and services that will not only benefit them; however, will benefit others. Then there are those that are essential businesses and they go out to work every day whether it as a medical professional, military, first responders, apartment complex workers, grocery store workers, truckers, producers, delivery drivers, and so many other professions out there. Some of them are seeing how bad this illness is and the ripple effect it has on the patient, themselves, the patient’s family, and other loved ones. The effect of them going home and quarantining themselves away from their loved ones so they won’t get infected as they don’t want to have what they brought home on themselves into their loved one’s world.
You see, we are all dealing with this in some form or fashion. We are all in this fight together. No matter how you are dealing with this new norm for the moment it is okay. You have to do what is best for you. I have seen posts and sayings out there that if you are not doing XYZ then it just means you are not disciplined, motivated, or dedicated. Well I am sorry; however, that is just not true. Every person is different, and every person is dealing with this in different ways. Yes, logic will say to utilize this time to be productive and creative; however, as I mentioned above it does not always look like that. In prior posts, I have said that there is no magical three steps and you are successful. If today, you got up, took a shower, and talked to a friend or family member and that looks like success for you today then fantastic. I am proud of you. You got this! One step at a time. Marathon runners train for months and years to do their marathons. It takes dedication, determination, and routine.
Wherever you are in your process during this quarantine you are doing great and you will come out of this better than when you stepped into it. One thing about leadership and life is we are all human and that we all process differently and get through things differently. These blanket statements meant to encourage can also have the opposite effect and does not take into consideration what an individual is going through. Instead of blanket statements let’s have empathy, emotional intelligence, and realize that not everyone is going to have a great business idea and you know what that is okay. Not everyone is going to setup a blog, a side hustle, or whatever you think they should be doing because that is not their story but your story. Let us quit comparing what others are doing and judging them for what they may or may not be doing; because frankly some are just surviving. Encourage them in a way that is unique to them and that will go a lot further than saying you aren’t a success because XYZ.
As an individual waiting to know when things will go back to a more routine do whatever it is that makes you feel safe. If during this time you are making life decisions about what you want your life to look like when this is over. Start making those plans now, no matter how difficult. If you are wanting to be a healthier mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically. Do the work and you will make huge moves in the future; however, make those first steps. If you were wondering who your people are and those that were there before this time have not been around talking to you and only talking to you when you check-in, it may be time to reevaluate who you keep in your life and who goes away. There is a season for every relationship and sometimes those seasons are short, and others are long. Do what make you healthy and happy and keep those around that encourage you along the way. Those are the keepers.
If during this time, you are in a fog due to your job and source of income is completely taken away. I definitely understand. Take the time to grieve and let the fog clear. This type of grief takes time and is different for everyone to process, so do what you can and reach out to others you trust or non-profits that are set up to help through this time. Lean in and figure out what you want and where you want to go next. However, do not feel that you need to rush through this process as it is not simple to deal with this and there is no quick fix, you have to go through the process. By going through this process you will be stronger, more understanding, and you very well may find your purpose during this time.
All in all, no one is identical and everyone’s process is different; however, no matter where you are in your personal process keep going you will make it. If you to need block the negatives out via social media, and news, block it out. Just be you and you will get through this. In fact, we all will get through this. Oh yeah, remember to wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and keep six feet apart. Do your part to stop the spread!
This post is dedicated to the millions of medical professionals, first responders, grocery store workers, supply chain personnel, scientists, and others working so we all can be safe, fed, and healthy. You are the true hero’s in the world. I personally am praying for you during this time. May God Bless you, protect you, and use you to heal!
Be Bold! Be Courageous! Be Fearless!
Joel Mark
The Storm
As I sit here, the world is in a pandemic. A storm has come in the name of COVID-19. This storm, at least here in Nashville was preceded by a devastating tornado that caused major damage and loss of life. Two weeks later the US and the world are being griped by COVID-19. Whole countries are on lockdown, states are going on lockdown, cities are going on lockdown, mass layoffs are happening in the hospitality industry as businesses are shutting down to help flatten the curve. Social distancing, shelter-in-place, quarantine, epidemic, pandemic, shortages, essential movement, and so many other words have become top in daily conversations.
We are living in a time that many things are being exposed from businesses that truly used their Corporate Social Responsibility as a smoke screen, our selfishness, our depravity, our loneliness, our facades. All have come crumbling down. What is coming back is a realignment of who we are as individuals, nations, businesses, leaders, friends, spouses, family members, parents, grandparents, and children. We are working to protect the most vulnerable. Human decency is coming back. The facade that organizations that we thought were there to protect are incapable of protecting due to red tape. Now don’t get me wrong I believe during this time a more leaner government may come about that can react faster and more decisive during a time like this. Organizations will redevelop CSR principles to make sure that their number one assets are protected (their people).
This storm called COVID-19 will have major impact on everyday life for the foreseeable future. On top of this other natural disasters are happening; earthquakes, locusts, natural disasters, and so much more. During this time many that are sheltering-in-place are thinking of ways to improve life, create new content, chefs creating new foods, bartenders/mixologist creating new libations, distillers creating new alcohols, brewers creating new booze, new ways to create a more sustainable energy supply, playwrights creating new live theater experiences, musicians creating new music, authors creating new stories, and the list can go on and on and on. We are seeing a reset and I will cover that in another post this coming week.
Right now we are in a storm and the other day, once the fog of all that has transpired in March for me personally, an image came to mind and story. As you know I am a man of faith and a follower of the Way. I believe right now we are in a storm and we are panicking and afraid, yet I see the world on a boat in the midst of a major storm and we are afraid of what is going on. In the back of the boat peacefully asleep is a man unfazed by all that is going on. He is awoken by the noise of not the storm but those cry out in fear and pain. He stands up and goes to the front of the boat; passing all those that are busy doing work to calm their fears in great dismay. Each person, country, nation, language, ethnic group He passes a peace comes over them. As He approaches the front of the boat He turns to all the nations and says “I am Greater than this storm. I am Greater than your fears, I am Greater than any nation, leader, and I am working with the healers for I am the Great Healer, the Great Physician. I am the Lord of lords, King of kings, and the Prince of Peace. I am Adonai, I am YHWH.” He turns to the storm and rebukes the storm and a great calm comes across the ocean and a peace permeates over the world.
If this vision I had reminds you of anything then you would be right. It is similar to the story in Scriptures of Jesus and the disciples. If you want to look it up here is the story is found in Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; and Luke 8:22-25.
I know many that will read this post do not have faith in God or anything else; however, I do and I am just sharing what I have felt in the past few weeks. So those that don’t believe I ask you two things, one allow people that do have faith to have their faith; and two in what you do believe good vibes or what not send them out. This is an all out effort by all humanity.
There is hope during this storm. There is peace during this storm. “Fear not for I am with you always” Isaiah 41:10. “Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23.4.
As I mentioned there is hope. There are millions around the world working to control this pandemic. They are scientist, doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical companies, other medical staff. I have seen videos from Switzerland that at nine pm they all open their windows and begin to applaud and cheer on these exhausted healthcare workers. I have seen videos of those in Italy singing to help lift the spirits. Here in the US musicians are doing live shows from their living rooms and broadcasting across the globe. There is hope. We will survive.
During this time remember, those that are on the frontlines of this pandemic. Pray for them daily. Send good vibes their way. Be gracious to others. Love others. If you see one on your necessary run’s to the stores tell them from six feet away thank you. If you have the means pay for what they are buying. Help the first responders get food as their transportation cannot make it through the drive-thru. Prepare masks for the medical staffs. Help those impacted due to the shutdowns monetarily, with food, necessities or whatever you can. Reach out to people you care about. Care for each other from a distance. Love each other. We will get through this. We will overcome. We will come out stronger. We will love harder. We will be more balanced. We will be okay.
THANK YOU TO ALL THAT ARE FIGHTING THIS PANDEMIC AND THOSE THAT WORKING FOR A VACCINE! THANK YOU TO THE DOCTORS AND NURSES, CNA’S, MA’s, HOSPICE, NURSING HOME, FIRST RESPONDERS! YOU GOT THIS AND WE GOT YOU!
BE BOLD! BE COURAGEOUS! BE FEARLESS!
Joel
PS: As my source of income has been affected during the tornado and COVID-19 and you would like to help to make sure this blog stays up and help with the launch of a podcast and vlogging. Please email me at joel@pathofone.com and I will give you ways to help. I am not a 501(c) or a for profit organization. I am an individual just trying to bring hope and share what I have learned. Thank you.