“What can you control?” is a coaching question so basic, I sometimes move past it too hastily. The pandemic has reminded us of its importance.
Since March, I have been engaging in as many informal conversations as I can with clients and others to simply ask, “How is it going?” The answer to this question varies, but I’ve noticed the people who thrive are focusing on what they can control.
One client moved all operations remote. Later, they realized no one was covering the customer service function. In the short term, they tried to fill the gap via emails, but when employees needed to call customers, they used their personal phones to make the calls. This is risky, but people pulled together and made the calls while those in charge sourced ways to get company mobile phones delivered to them at home.
Most people don’t have a ready home office. Nimble companies realized they couldn’t control personal office spaces. But they could control reallocating some budget to ensure people had necessary technology, and in some cases, appropriate chairs.
At Group Dynamic, we can’t control last minute changes from in-person to virtual trainings. However, what we can control is how flexible we are to last minute changes and how to deliver virtually.
Restaurants have really taken a hit since the beginning of the pandemic. They can’t control that many people feel unsafe indoors. But what could they control? How well they shifted to carryout, delivery, and smart marketing which connected them to their customers.
So, when I feel anxious and overwhelmed, I ask myself one question: what can I control?
Jared
Well said