Dealing with Bad News

We each have to choose how we respond to the bad news that we continue to hear. If you watch the cable news cycle it is easy to think that we will be in misery for quite a while. Economists, Politicians, and Pundits have a tendency to make money off of despair and bad news. To be able to grow our businesses, contributions and lives we have to protect ourselves against the negativity that can come our way. Here are a few things that we can do to positively and proactively deal with bad news:

• Realize what we control and continually looking for ways to grow personally. Look at what you will read next and what classes that you can take to grow your career and performance.
• Stop watching the news and surround yourself with positive people that believe in their futures.
• Challenge yourself to look for new ways of doing business and continually improving the processes in your organization today.
• Have a good understanding of what your customers are going through so that you can partner with them on solutions.
• Take the time to learn from what we have experienced in the past and improve as a result of your experience
• Create multiple scenarios and always have a plan B so that we can adjust based upon the circumstances and challenges
• Be sure that you are controlling what you can control – your attitude, time and behaviors
• Stay focused upon what is in front of us, set short term goals, and follow through so that you hit them

Having the right frame of mind that sees us winning is crucial in dealing with the challenges that are in our path. I would be interested to see what you have found that works for you in dealing with Bad News. Share your thoughts so that we can benefit from your experience.

Bob Coulter