Strategies for Success in this Recession – Part 1: Change how you see things

by Richard Derwent Cooke

The world is in global economic melt down .. right? And yet I am sure there are many people and businesses that are doing very well in today’s marketplace. Of course there are practical difficulties with getting credit (if you need it) or perhaps with clients who lack liquidity. However, if we give away our power to these external factors, we inevitably cast ourselves as victims of circumstances.

It is far better to recognise these changes as the opportunity that they undoubtedly are and begin to think how we can change to take advantage of this state of flux. In a steady state market, the big boys always win as they have the resources and the reputation. When things become turbulent, there are opportunities for smaller, more nimble, more inventive businesses to steal a march on them.

Martial artists train so that when they need to use their skills they don’t become paralysed by fear. It is easy to feel scared by all that is going on, but recognising the upside of this situation helps us to move forwards, and approaching things with a positive mindset helps us be creative.

Being the same as everyone else and conforming is no longer the safe option. Differentiate yourself: find or build a niche. What element of the market particularly interests you or are you particularly good at? What hasn’t been tried before or what classic ideas and techniques could be adapted today’s circumstances? What techniques can be ported over from another area or discipline, such as what could a boat builder teach a house builder? What ideas could be transferred from one part of the world to another one? What is traditional in one place is innovative in another.

So Step One is to change how you look at things….

Steps Two & Three will follow shortly.

“Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things.”

Richard Derwent Cooke is a Facilitator, Coach & Change Mentor and the founder of I-Change. Trained as a chartered accountant and in various alternative disciplines, Richard has been working in the fields of personal and business change for over 25 years, working with international blue chip companies and individuals. See www.i-change.biz for more details, or email info@I-change.biz. You can also follow Richard on twitter.