Three Lessons From The Pandemic (And How To Apply Them In Your Business Life)

By Zane Stevens, Director/Founder at Protea Financial, guiding small businesses with high-quality and cost-effective accounting.

In March 2020, the world changed. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic due to the outbreak of Covid-19 after it infected 118,000 people in 114 countries. Stay-at-home orders were issued, and everybody’s world changed. Everyone was asked to stay home as much as possible. Many people were now living, learning and working in the same space. We were asked to forgo our “freedoms” to save lives.

It really has been a crazy year, and no matter the degree, the world has changed and has had an effect on your life. For most, it has made us reassess the way we do things and rethink what we believed was the way things should be. Personally, the change in the world has made me rethink the way I behave as a husband, reassess what I can do to be a good parent, consider who are my friends and what I need and want from those relationships, and look at all the ways we behave in my business. Basically, this year was the definition of life-changing.

So, what did I learn through the pandemic? These are the three main lessons I have learned.

1. It is OK to be wrong, as long as you admit it.

In February and early March of last year, I honestly thought this was all a major overreaction. I still planned to do an international trip and leave my family with the note I would be home soon. I was trying to continue business as usual and just keep moving forward.

Well, this was all wrong! With a bit of research, a lot of conversations with people much smarter than I am and a swift action plan, I pivoted. I identified I was wrong and there was an event on the horizon that would likely have a massive effect on all our lives.

At this point, I took responsibility for the decisions of others by shutting down our limited in-person meetings and telling our team we would see each other when it was safe. 

As in this situation and business, owning your decisions and then being brave enough to admit you were wrong is so important. The only way to grow is to understand you can be wrong.

2. Not everyone is going to agree with you.

I think this is something we can all agree with, even though we have unique opinions about everything from the best condiment on your hot dog (mustard and ketchup) to how you like your coffee (black, no sugar) to religion and politics. In the world of a pandemic, there is a lot of information and misinformation, facts and social media facts, truths and opinions. The man on the street believes they are smarter than people who have been studying the topic their whole lives.

It is truly crazy but true.

This is a truth that I struggle with, but I have come to the conclusion that it is best to research, validate the source, have conversations, make up my mind and then move forward. Now here is the learning point: Even though I have made a decision and I am moving forward, this does not mean I stop listening. I could learn something that would lead to research and more conversations and potentially a new opinion.

Not everyone is going to agree with you. I am not going to agree with everyone. Both of these are true, but neither means I should stop learning.

In business, opinions are going to be different. That is OK. Make your decisions but make sure to keep an open mind and keep learning.

3. Doing the right thing can be so hard!

Oprah Winfrey said, “Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.”

In a world of extreme rules, the concept of integrity could never have been more blurred. The concept of staying home, wearing a mask and protecting the most vulnerable somehow became political. Do I do the right thing? Do I do what is right for me? Are they the same thing? Are they different?

Though I do not need to agree to all the rules, I believe it is important to follow them. I have young children, and many years from now, I want to be able to talk about this time in history with my head held high. I want to be able to tell my children I followed the rules and did my best to protect others, them and myself. This is not an easy decision. It is unpopular with many and possibly cost me relationships.

Doing the right thing is tough.

In your business, you are going to have to make decisions. Sometimes they are going to be tough and test your integrity. Make sure you understand what your values and limits are and stick to them. It might not be popular, it might be against what others believe, but at the end of the day, you need to be able to hold your head up high.

The last year has been challenging, to say the least. It has been scary, tiring and difficult. With everything that is challenging, it is important to reflect and try to find a way to learn and grow. These are my biggest learnings from this situation. Honestly, I always knew these concepts — but now, for me, they are crystal clear.

The post Three Lessons From The Pandemic (And How To Apply Them In Your Business Life) appeared first on Business War | Know Your Competitors.