When a sieve is shaken, the husks appear; so do one’s faults when one speaks. As the test of what the potter molds is in the furnace, so in tribulation is the test of the just.
- Sirach 27:4-7
Ever had one of those days, when everything seemed to go wrong, and the result was that you were irritable, and short-tempered with everyone around you? And you looked back on the day and said to yourself, “I don’t know why I acted that way, that’s not like me.”
The scripture reading at my church this past Sunday included the above passage, and the take-home message focused of our character; on how when we are tested, our true character comes through. The challenge was, when you say that’s not like you, maybe it’s who you really are. The challenge to me personally was to pray that when these tests came around, that I would live up to the test.
It also struck me that this very much applies to a small business. When things are going well, you’re in a good mood, and that will tend to rub off on your employees and it’s easier to treat your customers/clients with respect.
But what about those times when things aren’t going so well?
- When your books show that you’re going to have a hard time making payroll this month?
- When you’ve gotten a terrible social media review, (and you know that the reviewer was essentially right)?
- When nobody comes into the store/shop/office all day long?
- When you’ve made an expensive purchasing mistake?
When these bad things happen, how you react can show the true character of you and your business.
Most people are going to want to rise above these problems. The question is, what can you do to consistently meet these challenges with professionalism and grace?
Well, here are a few suggestions:
Review your Vision and/or Mission Statements. Make sure everything you are doing reflects your values and your mission. And make sure that all your employees know these statements and buy into them. If they are not particularly inspiring, take some time to redo them. And if you don’t have one, schedule some time over the next week to start on it. You really need that direction and those standards by which you live and operate to be written down and communicated, and lived.
Review how you treat your employees. Have you got the right people in the right jobs? How effective is your training, really? What have you done to make yourself a good leader of people? Quite frankly, I find that oftentimes the people that complain about their staff really don’t have an employee problem – they’ve got an employer problem. They just don’t know how to effectively deal with their staff. And it’s understandable in that most have never had any kind of training on how to do this. It doesn’t come naturally. If, deep down, you know this applies to you, make a commitment now to do something about that.
Plan, plan and plan some more. One of the most effective things a business owner can do is to make plans – business plans, marketing plans, operations plans, contingency plans for when the other plans don’t work. I’ve had business owners tell me that planning is worthless, since the situation will change and make those plans obsolete. I wholeheartedly disagree, and I have know less than General Dwight Eisenhower to back me up on this, who said “Plans are worthless, but planning is indispensable.” The point is that while you cannot know what the future will bring, preparing for it makes it a lot easier to adapt to changing situations.
Work with your strengths. Their are three essential elements that have to be met to make a business work – technical, human relations and financial. Most people that start a business have strengths in one area, and sometimes two of these areas, but I don’t think I’ve ever found someone that has strengths in all three. That means the business owner is having to take care of at least one major area that he or she really has no expertise. Somebody once told me, “sell your strengths, hire your weaknesses.” Focus on what you do best and have someone else that has those skills focus on what you don’t do well.
Keep track of your financials. This may be a particularly appropriate followup to the last point, as many business owners do not understand their numbers well. You may not know how financial statements are put together, but find someone to help you put them together, and get them to help you analyze them. If they just want to talk about taxes, find someone else! You need to know what these numbers mean to the health of your business.
Create an advisory team. An advisory group can be used as a sounding board for ideas, as a brainstorming group, as advisors for skills and abilities you lack, as accountability partners, and as supporters with whom you can share victories. A small group of people that you can depend on for ideas, support, and commiseration can be invaluable to your success and to your mental health.
Ask for help from a higher authority. And finally, if you are so inclined spiritually, pray about it. Ask God to help you deal with the challenges you are facing. He won’t let you down.
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