Resilience, an important yet often overlooked BD & marketing skill, is needed now more than ever.
In our conversations with team leaders, one quote stood out:
“Right now you need to be good (at your job) and you need to be resilient – and both of those things you have control over”.
We think this accurately sums up the need to be focused and remain relevant to your firm.
Here are six ways you can rise to the challenges at work during COVID-19.
1. Get stuff done
You may notice the pace of your role slow down slightly, which may throw you off your usual routine and give you more time in your day. Use this time to get into another project – such as dealing with all the administrative “I’ll do it later” things that pile up that you were never able to get around to. Perhaps update fee-earner profiles for future pitches or directory submissions, audit their LinkedIn profiles or tidy up all the old BD plans that are filed away. Getting organised and keeping busy will make you will feel so much better and demonstrate you are in proactive mode.
2. Plan ahead
The COVID-19 crisis will pass. Then what happens next? What opportunities will you be able to leverage off? Are there any ways you can modify your approach to clients to suit the changing landscape? Perhaps you can work on profiling strategies for your practice/ partners or assess if there any gaps that you can address. It’s a good time to fix what’s broken and identify new initiatives.
3. Look for opportunities
Challenge yourself to spot new opportunities both externally or internally. Here is your chance to identify how you can add value in news ways. The key here is that you use your own initiative. Where do you start? Ask yourself and people around you questions. Are there any points of friction in the way you do things that can be streamlined? Was there something that was too difficult to tackle previously due to lack of resources or time? It’s a great time to assess what needs to be done.
Take note, this does not need to be super innovative or new. It just needs to be a solution to a problem people either know they have or didn’t realise they had. Be there for your manager, team and business. Sometimes it’s the small things that you do to take the pressure off that will help your colleagues which makes all the difference.
4. Communicate
All business development professionals are coaching their fee-earners to communicate with clients. The same applies to you with your internal stakeholders. Communicate what you are working on with updates and check in to make sure you are on the right track. This does not need to be formal meetings, so no need to schedule a Zoom – a simple call, text or email will suffice. As we are working remotely, it’s important we are all on the same page and a quick “this is what I am working on” message is always appreciated.
5. Have the right attitude
It’s ok to feel overwhelmed at times and sometimes it’s hard to get motivated – this is normal. But you can still have a positive and professional attitude. While this rule applies during good times and bad, it is extra essential when the chips are down. What team leaders are looking for are people that bring positivity no matter the situation and whilst it may be difficult at times, it’s all in how you approach the problem. If you are negative, this will come through in your actions, your tone and in how you interact with your team. How you affect team culture and atmosphere is so important as you have the power to set the tone of a work environment which has flow on effects (team moral, productivity).
If you do find it difficult to work, talk to someone or take some personal time to get in the best headspace.
6. Do your best work
This one sounds obvious but it’s important. People sometimes lose themselves when they are in a changing environment and find that it affects their work product. This comes from uncertainty and the distractions of what is happening around you. Now more than ever you will need to be accurate and keep your attention to detail on point. Now is also a good time to refresh your skills. There are endless amounts of free webinars around – pick a few and share the findings with your teams.
Overall the key to staying on top of your job is to take control of the things you can and with a positive mindset. Stay focused, stay connected and remind them why they hired you.
The consultants at Seldon Rosser are here to support you through the ups and downs of your career. Get in touch if you need an independent sounding board or career advice.