November Challenges and Successes

For our November Round Table meetings, we held an open discussion on the topic of “What’s Your Biggest Challenge?” For your convenience, notes from the chapter meetings have been recorded below for you to review.

In our Round Table format, some virtual and some in-person, groups shared current challenges in the business environment that are arising out of the ongoing pandemic.  These challenges spill over into our personal lives as well.

Some are experiencing business growth and having throughput challenges and staffing needs

Others are facing challenges in acquiring business—especially consultants.  Engagements have been cancelled. It is hard to financially support CBRT when clients have been lost.

Some leaders report having lost employees during this time, creating lasting emotional and business effects.

Many are now encouraging their teams and reminding them that their activity today impacts the rest of the team down the road, even while we are very slow today on new prospects. The funnel of business takes a few months to trickle down.  Suggestions from groups include keeping the game face on and share success stories with the team to keep them motivated. 

Team building can be a challenge when workers are remote. 

Change and compliance are key issues.  Pandemic “rules” change periodically, and it may be difficult to assess the level of comfort people have with meeting in person. As with traffic rules, we need to learn to have faith in others on the road—trust that they will follow social norms to keep us safe.   We are challenged with keeping the workplace safe and clean to allow employees to feel safe. Those working in person have a power in collaboration that you’ll never get with the workforce at home. Some are finding that remote staffing can be efficient and work well, but some tasks are difficult to accomplish remotely.  There are varying degrees of fear, spiritual challenges, and we are working in an unusual environment that we’ve never dealt with before.  We need to work together to get through this and remember that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Accelerated pace of change in many areas—constant change and state of flux.

There are challenges in convincing CEOs to accept the new reality and develop communication models that work today.  In the near time we must develop virtual skills and platforms to accommodate possibly not going back to office before July 2021.

We struggle with being seen as a priority by clients—selling in the new world.  We must keeping communication flowing, give our clients interim structured steps that they can do, instead of asking for immediate POs or moving towards a quick close, which may result in no gains whatsoever and you get nothing as the weeks go by.  Our job is to move people forward, always selling.  Even if it is through baby steps. 

Think of clients in the Filter System—profile client more than ever to determine their current business status.  1.  Are you doing business as usual through COVID?  2. Are you pushing work into next year?  3. Are you pushing back work indefinitely?  4. Are you mitigating risk by doing something today to stay afloat (baby steps)?

More Key Ideas from our Round Tables:

• How to lead another leader who is not directly accountable to you
  • Use the process of self-discovery by asking questions to guide them.
  • Be bold and blunt when necessary.
• How to handle when the team pushes back to change.
  • Soft sell with encouragement.
  • Establish and reinforce the Core Values.

As a reminder, our next Leadership Events are scheduled to be Virtual and Global, for maximum impact.  Please save the following dates:

February 26, 2021 Virtual Leadership Event

March 19, 2021:  Annual Summit

April 16, 2021 Virtual Leadership Event with speaker Brig Sorber (Two Men & A Truck)

If you are unable to attend, subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can review all past event presentations. Be sure to turn on your notifications so that you are the first to know when Ron Kitchens’ presentation is available!

Due to ongoing Michigan pandemic response, our December Round Table groups will meet Virtually, via GoToMeeting.

Join us at an upcoming Round Table meeting!  RSVP to info@thebusinessrt.org to receive a meeting link.