Leadership: Dismiss the "Wait till the recession is over then act" Attitude by Karla Brandau

To take a "wait till the recession is over then act" attitude is a prescription for suicide for your organization.

Two headlines recently signal that a turnaround is coming. First, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that businesses have quit slashing IT budgets even though they predict IT budgets will be flat into 2010 as companies wait for stability over several quarters before new orders are made.

I saw the second headline in the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Another sign the economy is coming back.... The article states that the Conference Board's Index of Leading Economic Indicators rose this month, the latest sign that an economic recovery may be around the corner. The LEI, which gauges economic activity in the next three to six months, advanced 1 percent in May, the biggest monthly gain in more than three and a half years. It follows a 0.2 percent decline in April. May's LEI gain was the first increase in seven months.

This is great news and the question now becomes, "What am I personally doing in my organization to prepare us for additional business and expansion?" The economy may still be fragile, but the time to act is now. To put your organization on the path to growth you can:

1. Evaluate your business processes and eliminate whatever blocks productivity.
2. Update your software versions and ask your IT professionals how technology can help you solve business problems.
3. Give your employees the tools to handle additional tasks as the recession ends. This includes training on topics from software applications to conflict and collaboration.

Check out Karla's resources for training programs in conflict and collaboration and in time management and technology at www.KarlaBrandau.com or www.TimeForResults.com.

Leadership: Tune Up Your Engine

When your car is sputtering and stalling it is easy to open the hood, look around, check the oil, wiggle a few belts, check some connections and proclaim “It’s beyond me.”

Our economy is sputtering and stalling and most people don't have the foggiest idea of what to do. Instead of loudly proclaiming “It’s beyond me,” become the mechanic. Pull your team of professionals together and run the diagnostics needed to tune up your organizational engine.

Explore solutions to symptoms such as:

• What product or service might need to be jettisoned?
• Is there a new product we could launch with minimal effort?
• Can we find new ways to cut costs?
• How can we reward our employees for their loyalty?
• What would increase morale?
• Can we use Web 2.0 techniques in a productive way?
• What would make life easier for our sales team?

What you are looking for are minor changes that can make major differences in the way your engine runs. The crisis of the economy is pushing us to modernize, cut obsolete products and practices, and readjust organizational vision while realigning purpose and employees. This process is the bright side of what is happening in every organization in the world today.

The Expect Success Attitude: Even a Penny Can Block Your View

I can’t think of one thing a penny will buy in today’s world. All I use a penny for is to make the right change to cover the city, county and state taxes when I make a purchase. However, when held up to your eye, as small as it is, a penny can block your view of the world around you.

How does a penny apply to you today? Don’t let small bumps in the road block your long term plans for success or destroy your positive hopes for the future.

I ran on a book the other day by author Shari Dew whose title summarizes my thoughts: If Life Were Easy, It Wouldn't Be Hard.

Try the experiment. Put a penny up to your eye and then remove it. Removing the penny is similar to using your resilience and the “expect success” attitude to help you triumph over all odds.