Professionals Thriving in
the Midst of Adversity
By David Kiger
Image courtesy of
tock.tookapic.com
at Flickr.com

Our personal life resembles business life up to a point: there are
favorable situations; there are adverse situations. Many
business managers and entrepreneurs are distinguished by their
wit and professional training but many of them do not really
know how to handle times of adversity and negative
experiences that their company might face. Some professionals
are so focused trying to achieve success that are clueless about
the difficulties and challenges they might have to face in order
to achieve their goals.
Frequently in the beginning, it happens that sales grow rapidly
and in unexpected ways, you can count on the collaboration and
support of your colleagues, and suppliers are at your disposal;
that is to say everything seems to be going very well. But after
a time, the unexpected can happen and all that fruitfulness
changes adversely for many reasons that can be internal or
external to your business.

When your business reaches this adverse season, it is when you
must show your courage and face the challenge of continuing
operation despite the difficulties that might come your way, always
keeping your motivation high so that you can see difficulties as an
opportunity and then master the art of overcoming adverse
situations.
Adversity is more like to a long family trip on a bad road with bad
weather: you will need a steady hand on the wheel and a firm
concentration on the road, the traffic and the conditions until the
trip is finished. The driver's focus must be in his family, as the
company manager must be focused in his staff and business until
they all arrive safely at destination. This is the role of the leader in
the face of adversity: continue forward through the difficulties,
along with the rest of the organization.
In this article we will deal with some tips to handle adverse stages
in your company so that you manage to transform the negative
experiences into opportunities for your business.

Have a positive attitude
The first step to face a moment of hardship is being positive.
In the face of adversity is crucial to focus on the good things
and keep the optimism with regard to a better future. When
things go wrong, people can easily begin to feel that their
efforts are meaningless. In addition, when a person –
especially a company leader – is discouraged, that attitude
can quickly spread to others. When in an organization, a
leader becomes depressed and has a negative attitude,
performing well, recognizing small achievements and dealing
with daily problems becomes very difficult. When the
situation is difficult, leaders can try to boost the spirits of
people and help them to believe that problems will
eventually end and that everything will improve. That is the
power of a positive attitude.

Clear, specific goals
The clearer and the more solid and specific your goals are,
the greater your ability to face a time of adversity will be.
Clear objectives imply a strong conviction in what you are
doing despite the circumstances. If there is a strong
foundation and a clear destiny, your company will be able
to assimilate better the bumps in the road.
Assistance
It is important to know when and who to ask for help when
it is necessary. In a time of adversity, the help and advice of
experienced professionals and peers can help you to put
things into perspective to be able to thrive.

Timely response
When adversity knocks at the doors of your company, it is
necessary to analyze the situation and move quickly to
improve it. Successful leaders know how to move quickly
from a state of analysis of causes to one of implementation
of responses to address the problem. The leader must do
something. It is crucial that people see that someone is in
charge and manages the situation. The action may not be
an immediate solution to the problem in question.
However, a proactive leader should demonstrate that
something is being done. The action may involve the
organization of a planning committee or a system of
communication so that everyone is informed. Whatever
the actions, they should be implemented as soon as
possible.

Ability to understand
Just as happens in life, you must understand that companies also
have their moments of adversity. If you manage to understand this
clearly, you will be able to avoid depression, stress, despair or the
panic.
These suggestions when implemented will become useful
guidelines to turn moments of adversity into a real opportunity for
personal and professional growth. To be motivated in challenging
times requires determination, passion, trust, and commitment. Do
not allow failure or adversity to undermine your motivation to see
your company flourish. Every time someone faces adversity, and is
willing to learn from it, reaps the benefits of the experience and
will become a strong and powerful professional who will be able to
thrive in business.
If you want to know more insight by David Kiger on how to Invest in
Times of Crisis, visit this link.