COVID Strategy for Surviving and Thriving

This one is very personal. It was inspired by someone very dear to me who has chosen a profession where self-employment is the norm and which is traditionally characterized by “feast or famine”. And right now it’s in big-time famine mode. Clients are frightened and have gone to ground, and won’t be seen for months. With kids to feed and a mortgage to pay, these are scary times for everyone, but especially for those in professions where clients have run and hidden.

In my thirty-seven years of legal practice I saw at least three serious recessions– in fact, I began right in the middle of one. Another one was economically devastating for everyone in our firm, so I speak from some experience. That experience includes the fact that when the firm crawled out of that mess, we had some of our best years, ever.

The single most important thing to keep front of mind is that as horrifying as it may be, and no matter how dreadful the daily announcements, COVID will pass, the oil crisis will automatically self-correct, and we’ll all pull ourselves out of the swamp, dry ourselves off, and look for new worlds to conquer. That’s just how life works.

So, given that there’s nothing to be gained by sucking our thumbs, each of us would do well to focus on getting ready for the return of good times. With that in mind, and drawing deeply on my “I wish I’d thought of that sooner” file, let me propose a few ideas:

1. Stay alive economically. This could be a long haul, and your financial resources may get stretched pretty thin. Before anything else, sit down and inventory all your resources and look for efficiencies and deferrals to make sure your resources are up to getting you through two, three or four months. If there is even a remote concern you might run out, now is the time to consider other sources, including family. I’ve learned that if you wait until the fire is out of control, it’s too late.

2. Stay sane and well. We’re probably a quarter or a third into this. Make sure you stay fit, healthy, busy, and connected. Watch out for eating or drinking or surfing or sleeping to the point of addiction. It’s up to you to make sure you come out of this better than you went in.

3. Keep perspective by reaching out to others. By helping, encouraging, and caring for others, you get the energy and the connectedness you’ll need to get through this. When you’re reaching out, however, avoid the Eeyores of the world. They don’t want help or companionship, they just want an ear into which to moan, and they’ll drag you down.

4. As best you can, analyze what your professional world might look like when this pandemic subsides. For some, your services will be in little demand for the foreseeable future, but for others, the rebound may provide insane opportunities. Work really hard at this, talk to peers, and also to wise and experienced people who understand the “big picture” of how the world works.

5. If it appears that it’s going to be bleak for at least a very long time, now is an ideal time to sort out who you want to be for the rest of your life.

6. Conversely, if your analysis suggests that there is going to be pent-up demand waiting for you, now is the time to work like mad to make sure that you are at the front of the line to serve that demand. How? By making sure your target audience knows now that you are the go-to professional to solve their wants and needs. (Notice I didn’t say “one of the”.)

My upcoming free webinar (I’ll advise as to a date and time) on the Alignment Doctrine will particularly address items 5 and 6. There’s still plenty of space– let me know your interest by clicking here (mailto:norm@purposeful.ca?subject=Interested%20in%20webinar) . If you have particular questions or would like to see something tailored specifically to your office or association, make sure you mention that.

Keep well, keep safe, see the good.