Here at Upstream Group, it’s day 50 of The Siege. If you’ve been reading The Drift over these weeks, you know I’ve been telling a story of adaptation, perseverance and values to the digital sales community. This week I got the chance to pull all that together for a conversation with Sarah Sluis on AdExchanger’s Social Distancing with Friends podcast. (Listen to the 20-minute interview here.)
Having looked back over these weeks of recovery, reinvention and writing, I’m sharing my bullet list of ideas that have sustained and invigorated me. Hope you find them helpful.
Constraint can foster innovation. When England’s theatres were closed by the Black Plague, Shakespeare wrote King Lear. (Thanks Ed Wise!) I’m busy inventing stuff. So should we all be.
Collapse the time, do something now. There is no longer a past or a future. Just the plan. Work the next 90 minutes of the plan. Feel productive. Repeat.
We can all be great hosts. Our Zoom calls and Google Meets can actually produce really amazing connections. But it won’t just happen. Focus less on all your slides and talking points and more on creating a welcoming space for collaboration and real listening.
Yesterday’s best practice is today’s survival skill. It’s always been a good idea to be generous, get to the point, prepare well and think strategically on your client’s behalf. Now it’s the price of entry. Fundamentals are the new black.
Break the grid. Who said meetings had to be 30 minutes long or you had to get through all your email? The systems that once served us now enslave us.
Presence means more than answers. The best managers are inventing ways to be truly present for the team members in their care. The lightest touches can say I’m here, I’m paying attention and I’ve got your back.
This an anvil on which great characters and careers are formed. In five or ten years, none of us will remember whether we made our number or the size of our Q2 commission check. We will all remember how we responded and took care of each other during the great pandemic. Decide now which memories you want to create.
Pivot to a place of service. The moment you start being a caretaker you stop being a victim. It’s impossible to feel sad and useful at the same time.
Hope this is truly great day for you.
