Every business has put together multi-year strategies, and from there worked backward to establish short-term goals. With the unexpected impact of COVID-19, many of these big picture plans lost steam. This is particularly true for small businesses. While a number of larger companies may have the resources to continue to scale in spite of the current situation, a good amount of those operations with no more than a few dozen employees are fighting just to survive. How can companies of any size adapt their vision and execution to the unique challenges affecting 2020 and beyond?

Today’s guest answers that question. We have interviewed Kathy Bowman Atkins, Founder, and CEO of The Lattitude Group. She helps other CEOs and business leaders set the course for their business. She has perfected the process for change and does something that most consultants don’t: follow-up and follow-through.

1) What led you to where you are now professionally?

Like many other consultants, I started my career in corporate America and ended up as an executive doing mergers and acquisitions for a Fortune 100 company. I was traveling 80% of the time all over the world and had parents with very severe illnesses, so I decided to take a break for about 10 months along with a colleague who was experiencing much of the same. We put our heads together and planned for our future. We realized that our strengths in corporate America were setting a vision and inspiring people to it, and recognizing the potential in people who couldn’t see it in themselves and helping them realize it. That’s what led us to start The Lattitude Group.

2) How should small business owners proceed in the wake of COVID-19?

We’re a very long-term, strategic company. We traditionally look at the five-year plan then break it down into smaller timeframes, but because of COVID-19, we have to do a reversal of that due to all the uncertainty. Don’t worry about your five-year vision, because we don’t know enough to predict what’s going to happen. Instead, let’s talk about the next six months.

We put together a three-part process for this that depends on where your business is. We’re looking at the projections and asking what’s the worst-case scenario, financially. What opportunities have been missed and what can be capitalized on within the next six months? We help them define those and then execute them, all the while helping them with accountability and change management.

Weekly, we’re going to set one or two metrics that you’re going to absolutely manage. If those metrics go off-kilter, we make changes. That’s the way it is. Once we get through those six months, we then talk about what the future holds. Then it’s another six-month plan. By the end of 2021, we can start looking at big, strategic things. Otherwise, we plant stakes in the ground and start planning around that.

3) What would you advise those established companies that are actually ready and eager to scale even during COVID-19?

We have colleagues in the large format printing business. That market has become somewhat soft right now, but as it turns out, their equipment can make plexiglass. Their business is now booming thanks to their making the shift to creating plexiglass for a variety of companies.

There are a couple of questions that you, as a business owner, need to ask upfront: Is this our new business (and it most likely is not) and does this sustain us such that we can actually think about what to do when our traditional business comes back so that we’re better prepared coming out of COVID-19 than we were going into it.

We have to talk to the owners and ask them why they’re doing business and what they’re trying to accomplish for themselves. They should also define what they’re willing to do and not do to get there—in other words, their values. The owners get the first take of where the business goes because they put in real equity and sweat equity.

We then interview their employees and ask them what their experience is like working at the company, what they think the company’s strengths and weaknesses are, where they think the company is going, and what they would change if they had the authority to do so.

We require the company to commit to working with us for a year, which will include monthly check-ins. We also remind them that they, as the leaders of their business, have to lead the charge and keep their people accountable. If you have lukewarm engagement, you’re going to get lukewarm execution.

We then determine who will be on the strategic planning team. These are the people across the business who are thought, leaders, and change agents. It’s a smaller team but we still want to have a good cross-section.

Finally, we then give them prep work, which is a two-day process. They will evaluate existing and potential products and services in terms of profitability. Same thing with regards to markets, systems, and processes. We also do an internal SWOT analysis. Basically, we’re using templates to collect data, which we then bring to the team, who will discuss that data, turning these observations into goals, and translating these goals into actions in the form of modules that contribute to the five-year plan, which will be adjusted as needed.

4) What would be your advice to small businesses with limited resources?

There are a couple of things. If they can’t afford third-party resources, I suggest they look to free resources in the form of small business centers at local universities and mentorship via SCORE. Secondly, as a small company, if you do a really good internal SWOT analysis, you would probably surface the two or three biggest things you need to be working on because your business is not that complex with a ton of moving parts (even if it feels that way). You don’t have to have a fancy project management software, either. I don’t care if you put it on an Excel spreadsheet. Just write it down and have routine meetings where you’re looking at these things and seeing how you’re doing. Anybody can do that if they’re willing to exercise the discipline to do it.

5) What are some of the accountability steps that smaller companies need to take when putting their plans into action?

The owners and leaders of the business have to regularly reinforce these focus areas with their people. They should go to each individual department or even team member and follow-up on progress and offer help to those who may need it. In a small business, it’s what a leader does and expects that happens.

6) What KPIs should companies be measuring?

As a former CFO, I only considered the bottom line. But for most companies, we need to come up with a very small set of company-wide KPIs that everyone can relate to. Not everyone can relate to IBIDA or net income or some other audacious goal. If you can break it down into a few key areas that everyone can relate to, such as subsets of that net income, your team members can point to these things and confidently say that they understand what these factors are and what they’re doing to contribute to making them happen. Everything that’s worth doing can be measured, whether directly or indirectly.

Utilize the Law of Gracious Plenty, which does not concern itself with exactness for exactness’ sake (i.e. we need to spend 10.75 hours on this goal). This will kill a lot of your team’s capacity for flexibility and adaptation as you proceed through your six-month plans.

7) Who is your ideal client at The Lattitude Group?

We have a clearly defined ideal client profile. On the strategy side, we are looking for healthy $25 million to $250 million in companies that are privately held with owners who have an articulated purpose for their business. Those businesses have very little red tape and we have a lot of potentials to make really great relationships to the point these types of clients stay with us for up to four-and-a-half years. On the people development side, we do executive coaching. That’s the one area where we target larger corporations.

8) Why would people want to check out your free download on go.lattitudegroup.com?

I think that this download can help a lot of business owners of different sizes. This guide contains ten questions that business owners need to be asking themselves in terms of preparing for their future and solidifying their goals. They will also be able to schedule a free one-hour consultation with us to discuss the most important things that they need to focus on.

9) What was your worst experience as an entrepreneur and what lessons came out of it?

Anyone who’s been in business for as long as I have has had a bad patch. When the Great Recession hit in 2008, we were impacted by that. We didn’t lose clients since we formed great relationships, but they certainly contracted. The volume of the business was reduced significantly. So we did what a lot of businesses did, which was to look at how long this would last and what our run-rate would be. We didn’t lay any people off, but we made some big changes. We also sat down with our clients and let them know that we had their best interests at heart, which was a big reason they stayed.

For me, I was always a big thinker and risk-taker. That experience definitely impacted my thinking. While I haven’t gone completely the opposite way, I do strive ahead with some reserves behind me now.

Conclusion

Realize that every company’s five-year plan at the start of 2020 is now outdated. If you’re a small business owner, focus on your six-month plan. If you’re a larger company that wishes to scale, create a new five-year plan, then break it down into six-month increments.

Before attempting to define and measure KPIs, get every team member from bottom to top on the same page with regards to your company’s vision, then form a strategic planning team and perform prep work to begin setting goals. When it comes to what kinds of KPIs to focus on, just remember that in all strategic decisions, there must be something that you can measure as a result. Part of that will involve income, but leaders should look at other factors beyond dollars that relate to the rest of the team.

Homework: Now that you know how to break five-year plans down to six-month segments and how to define, track, and measure important metrics, which three to five company-wide KPIs do your strategic planning team agree to relate to your whole team and are worth focusing on?

Learn more about Kathy Bowman Atkins here: Website: https://lattitudegroup.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LattitudeGroup Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/organization-guest/company/the-lattitude-group

Everything that happens in life is neutral until you put a label on them. Listen in as today’s guest shares how he was able to turn a near-death experience into a catalyst that shaped his life’s purpose: to help corporate leaders and their people build resiliency.

We have interviewed Michael O’Brien, executive business coach, TEDx speaker, author, and Chief Shift Officer at Peloton Executive Coaching. His mission? To help leaders prevent bad moments from turning into a bad day.

1) Can you recall your worst day as a leader and entrepreneur?

A couple of stories come to mind. My “last bad day” was when I got hit head-on by an SUV when I was out on a bike training ride. Another one was early on in my entrepreneurial life.

I spent 22 years in corporate America. The last job I held was General Manager for sales and marketing operations for a global pharmaceuticals company. I was doing pretty well, but I decided to follow my purpose and passion by starting my executive coaching career. In 2016 I was a year and a half into it. I was preparing a talk one day but didn’t have a lot of prep time due to family reasons. The talk was an absolute disaster. 15 minutes into it, I just lost my way, and for the first time in my professional life, I had to say, “Can we stop?” I just wanted the whole day to be over. Later, I was in my car and called my wife to tell her that I stunk up the joint. She told me that I was probably making a bigger deal out of it than it really was. I thought that my whole career as an entrepreneur was over. When I got home, I wrote a blog post and recorded a podcast in order to turn my experience into a teaching moment that I could share with others.

That day taught me about resilience and using lessons from my setbacks to lead me down a better direction. By the way, that company stayed as one of my clients because it was such an authentic moment for them.

2) You talk about another story on your website that really set the stage for how you view resiliency today. Can you tell me about that?

This is my origin story. It was July 11, 2001. I was out for a company offsite in New Mexico. I decided to bring my bike since I had a goal to cycle through all 50 states. That morning, I came around a bend, and a Ford Explorer was fully in my lane, traveling around 40 miles an hour. I didn’t have enough time to avoid him. I remember hitting his grill, into the windshield I went and came to the asphalt below as he came to a halting stop.

I regained consciousness surrounded by EMTs, and I knew that my life was in the balance. Throughout my whole life, I thought I was following the script, adhering to the letter of the law. In reality, I was chasing happiness by comparing myself to others and keeping up with the Joneses. And now, here I was, on the cold, desert asphalt of New Mexico fighting for my life. As they brought me to Albuquerque, I told myself that, if I got through this, I would change how I lived my life. When my doctor told me that my future was uncertain, I thought I’d never been happy again.

I stayed in that funk until a mentor told me that everything in my life is neutral until I label them. Nothing has meaning unless I give it meaning. I could stay a victim, or decide to rise up. That, to me, was a big “ah-ha” moment. I believe that an accident happened to me, not to me. It helped me lead in a different way that allowed me to get into the executive suite at a very young age. I credit my recovery as a big driver in helping me reshape my life—shifting my life if you will.

3) What exactly were those new paradigms that helped you climb the ladder in the corporate world?

One of the big ones was spending some time each day just being quiet and being present. Some people can call it “meditation” or “mindfulness”. I didn’t think of it that way. I grew up doing sports and knew that the mind was very important; so I knew that if I could get my mind right, I could get my body right.

Every morning, I get quiet and set my intentions for the day by asking myself three questions: 1) How do I wish to be today; 2) What do I wish to do (i.e. priorities); 3) What do I want to have more of at the end of the day?

4) If someone who is in charge of the scaling, growth, and efficiency of staff sits down with you, what advice would you give them to begin improving the resiliency of the company’s employees on a corporate level?

We should consider the health crisis brought about by COVID-19, as well as its impact on the economy. We’re now working through equity and equality issues. We have a lot to face as HR professionals and corporate leaders.

At a corporate level, if leaders can role model the right behaviors and show up with a more resilient mindset, it allows the company to become more agile. My definition of resilience is: “Fall down seven times, get back up eight times.” This will help us to adapt to future challenges. Who’s to say what the future holds? All we know is that things will continue to move faster as time goes on.

To reframe tough situations, I do what I call “grabbing a PBR”, which I developed when I was in the hospital. PBR stands for “Pause, Breathe, and Reflect”. We slow it down so that we can go faster and be better, taking breaths so that we can think things through before replying or reacting too soon.

Another thing is to work on our relationships. Resilient people have a “strong peloton”, which is a group of cyclists in a bike race like the Tour de France: They’re all on different teams and they all come from different departments, but they all need each other to go down the road as fast as possible. We all need strong peloton. It’s my metaphor for a tribe at work.

Finally, take small steps and get back to the priorities that really matter. Have gratitude. As a corporate leader, you can weave in gratitude for the current moment. Highlight both the small and big wins. Negative news travels the fastest and we forget about our small victories. Leaders at the top should ask what the team is grateful for. “Grateful” doesn’t mean “satisfied”. It doesn’t mean that we’re done. It just means that we recognize that we’re making progress, and we can use those moments of progress or accomplishment to build into tomorrow and begin to gain momentum.

5) How do you communicate sensitive issues across your company?

Every company should have a good copy editor and a good corporate communications department. When a company statement is needed in particular moments, highlight how the moment is front-and-center for everyone. There is more awareness among the team. They can see more frames of this movie. They can be thankful for the awareness, but not necessarily joyful or excited about it. Instead, it’s an opportunity to address what should have been addressed long ago. When you look at the nation today with the issues of COVID-19 and inequity and inequality, we should look at it all as an opportunity to write a new script—a new story—if we want to make this a “last bad day” moment for our country. We can’t be satisfied with an external memo and a few social media posts. The real brass tax of it all is how we can change and do things within our company.

Businesses will continue to evolve their brand by asking themselves how they want the world around them to see their company. A tire-changing business doesn’t just “change tires”—they’re providing safety and security. The key is to define the purpose of your work, and the mission and branding of your company. It’s ultimately all about the soul of your business. What do you stand for? What kind of impact do you want to make? What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?

6) What book would you recommend to those looking to better their outlook on life?

I often recommend The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho.

7) If you can go back and warn your past self against making a certain decision, what would that decision be?

I used to compare my beginning with other people’s middle. I wasted a lot of time playing the comparison game. Just do you. Be you. Speak to your people. Let them do them, and you’ll be very happy.

8) Is there anything taking place within the next six months that you’re most excited about?

In the next three weeks, on July 11, I’ll be celebrating 19 years since my last bad day. To celebrate life, I’ll be riding my bike inside for 19 hours for 19 charities supporting others during this moment in time. It’s going to be physically and mentally draining. Some people have called me crazy; but what’s really crazy is the racism, sexism, poverty, and hunger that is being felt all over the world right now. Riding for 19 hours doesn’t even begin to compare to that.

9) How can people reach you, and is there anyone who wouldn’t be a good fit to be your client?

Anyone can reach me through my website, which is www.michaelobrienshift.com. There, they can grab my free A Better Life workbook which will help them build resilience and manage their energy.

As far as the fit, the people that I gravitate towards are those who want to create a better tomorrow. If you’re happy with how it’s always been, and you don’t see any way to grow and develop, you’re probably not a good fit. It doesn’t mean I’m judging you. I’d still be open to a conversation because I just like connecting with people. And anyway, those conversations can still lead to issues that you might have overlooked.

I’ve been given a second shot at all this. For me, I’m doing what I believe I’m meant to do. If I can help people shift their perspective on things to step fully into this wonderful life that we have, to change things from a corporate or business perspective, or even just from their own living rooms, I’m all about it. It brings me a lot of joy. It brings me a lot of happiness. I’m excited to do it.

Conclusion

2020 brought with it a plethora of world-shaking challenges. From the effects of COVID-19 to increased awareness around issues of racial equality, all manner of businesses is forced to adapt in more ways than one. It is the corporate leader’s responsibility to be a role model to their people in demonstrating how to navigate the many obstacles they currently face.

It all starts with displaying resiliency. By incorporating simple practices such as “grabbing a PBR” and highlighting what deserves gratitude, leaders allow the soul of their business to shine brighter, which will lead to stronger pelotons and team members who are able to move forward in the face of uncertainty with greater confidence.

Homework: Now that you know what makes for a company culture defined by resilience, what foundational priorities can you as a corporate leader highlight which you can then translate into bite-sized, actionable steps that you and your people can take to improve the company today?

Learn more about Michael O’Brien here: Website: https://www.michaelobrienshift.com/ Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/pelotoncoaching Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelobrienshift/

Turbulent times paralyze the majority. The remaining few see strife as an opportunity to claim what many are not able to see just yet. We see this playing out today in the business world, a few months into the world-shaking effects of COVID-19. While countless companies have folded, others have embraced the realities of VUCA and steered their strategy toward rebuilding their teams through strengthening their employment culture and maximizing relevant technology. What exactly are these companies doing to thrive in the New Normal?

Today’s guest answers that question. We have interviewed Ira Wolfe, workplace futurist, recruitment marketing strategist, employee selection expert, author, TEDx speaker, and President of Success Performance Solutions since the company’s inception in 1996.

1) What is VUCA and how does this idea give us a peek at the future of work?

VUCA originated in the early 90s following the fall of the Berlin Wall. The U.S. military realized that the world was changing fast and that our enemies would no longer be countries or sovereign states. Instead, we would be facing terrorism which knows no boundaries. So the war colleges came up with a war strategy for the future which determined that the environment was going to be Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. Over the years, VUCA has become popular with business strategy, mostly at the C-level. The question is, “How do you manage a business in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world?

2) What was your worst experience as an HR futurist and how did you overcome it?

I’ve been through many tough times, and at the moment, they felt terrible. People always tell me that I’m a skeptic, and I’d add that I’m a realist, but I always see opportunity in the crisis. I’ve been in this business for 25 years. I started out as a dentist. If you watched my TED Talk where I talk about change, very early on I say that I love everything about dentistry but dentistry. I loved running the business. I loved working with people. I loved building my team. I loved helping people become healthier. I loved educating people. I just didn’t love doing the work.

I started my practice in 1980 on credit. There was a shortage of silver at a time when dentists used silver fillings and X-rays. I was also in a town of 5000 people with 11 dentists. Finally, the first case of HIV in America is of a person who died in a dental office. So, that was certainly a challenging time, but I adapted to every situation and made things work for my business regardless.

My philosophy to overcome personal and professional challenges like this is Bob Johansen’s VUCA Prime, a response to VUCA which stands for Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility. This requires shifting from a fixed to a growth mindset: being open to all the different ways I can turn setbacks into opportunity.

3) What is today’s primary challenge faced by organizations that are looking to grow or expand?

If you asked me this six months ago, I’d have said that organizations struggled to find good people. All of a sudden, as of Monday this week, we had 45 million unemployed. So, the challenge now is three-fold: skill shortage, cultural fit, and automation. The economy will continue to struggle for up to a year, and so companies need to be prepared with fielding the countless candidates that are looking for work. You need to have the right technology to go through the numbers and make sure that you hire not just for skill but for the integrity of your employment brand.

4) What are the steps that a company should take when evaluating applicants while staying true to their employment brand?

The first step is to get the word out about the opening. In my book Recruiting in the Age of Googlization, I came up with the acronym REACH.

How do you reach people? That means asking, “Where would the people that you’d like to hire hang out?” (HINT: Top talent doesn’t hang out at Indeed.com. They hang out at networking events and LinkedIn.)

Once people hear about your opening, they want to be Engaged. Your job description should not be “copy-paste” quality. Tell a story about your company illustrating why people love working for you.

At this point, the applicant will (hopefully) click to Apply. This means collecting metrics to find out where your most successful candidates come from. Beyond applicants, focus on the origin of your best hires. HR has been notorious for not tracking this pivotal information. Aside from measuring data, look at the actual application. The average abandonment rate of people who start applying is 50%. Determine whether your application is too long and whether it’s in an appropriate format while keeping in mind that 90% of the population starts a job search on a mobile device. You can’t fill out a PDF application on a cellphone. Have a relatively short, responsive, and mobile-friendly application.

After they apply, you have to Communicate. Responding quickly and often throughout the process is key. Keep your applicant updated on their status.

Finally, Hire. Hiring doesn’t stop at the job offer. You need a good onboarding process that closely evaluates their first day on the job.

5) What should you invest in with regards to recruitment marketing?

You should definitely use video to communicate because it’s the most engaging medium. Content is the defining factor. Giving a tour of your office and interviewing the CEO is too corporate. What applicants really want to know is, “What’s it like for me?” They may never see the CEO. What I suggest is, do a selfie of yourself interviewing an employee or two. Have them talk candidly yet professionally for a minute or two on what it’s been like working for the company. Transparency and authenticity are the two biggest traits that people are looking for in an employer, and it’s something that they feel, not something you declare. So get your culture in order first before communicating it. You can’t put your marketing plan into action and begin communicating with applicants if your culture sucks. Of course, this also goes hand-in-hand with making the application process efficient and effective, as I described above using the REACH acronym.

6) What are you most excited about right now?

I see so much opportunity. This is sort of a reboot time in the world. We’re launching a learning platform that can help people gain new skills from home. I’m doing a lot of speaking at virtual events. There’s a lot of work to be done. I’m still passionate about the candidate experience. There are good companies out there offering good jobs, good places to work, good lifestyles, good opportunities. They just can’t get the message out there. So, I’m excited to extend a helping hand to those who are looking to navigate these challenging times.

Conclusion

Drop your fixed mindset and replace it with a growth mindset by embracing VUCA, and respond to Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity with VUCA Prime: Vision, Understanding, Clarity, and Agility.

Just because the economy is in dire straits and many live in an environment of fear and isolation doesn’t mean all is lost for your company. If anything, now is the time to double down on your brand building and recruitment marketing efforts. Make use of every virtual resource that can help you communicate better with potential new employees, and turn your search for new talent into an invitation to join an organization that cares, encourages, and leads the way forward. 10x your application process with REACH.

Homework: Now that you know the importance of VUCA Prime and using this time to improve upon your recruitment marketing strategy, how can you use REACH to streamline your application and evaluation process? Brainstorm ideas for a transparent and authentic video that showcases your company culture without being too formal and add it to your job listing.

Learn more about Ira Wolfe here:

Website: https://www.irawolfe.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hireauthority

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/SuccessPerformanceSolutions/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irawolfe