Thoughts for This Unique Time
I had my “From Kristen’s Desk” written weeks ago. The email was ready to be sent out. Then COVID-19 hit, and it felt strangely irrelevant. I asked myself, What could I say that is meaningful when the situations of business owners and hiring managers and leaders and staff are literally changing hour by hour? Here are a few thoughts for the weeks ahead:
Find a Theme. Find a Word. Find a Verse. Find a Song. Find a Quote. Then cling to that pearl of wisdom and make it your own during this season of uncertainty. For me it was 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” And when fear starts to creep in, when the panic of the media starts to get to my soul, when overwhelming feelings start to hit, I beat them back by saying that verse, over and over and over again if I have to.
Power Pose. I don’t have time to dig up the research behind it, but I was listening to a training session once, and the speaker suggested standing with your arms pointed to the sky and feet spread apart like a giant X for two solid minutes. He had some physiological explanation for what it does to your body and how it releases positive hormones or something like that. But the bottom line: it does work. I’ve tried it. In fact, sometimes, my team will “power pose” together during meetings when we have to discuss a challenging topic. Pray or meditate or think positive thoughts while doing it. Believe me, there’s something to this even though it feels a bit odd.
Look for the hidden opportunities. Maybe with a more open labor market, you can land that “star candidate” that you’ve been looking for. Maybe figuring out “remote work” has been on your wish list, and now you have every reason to master it. Maybe you have kids who normally have activities every night of the week, and now they are suddenly home (aka family dinners and game nights)! Maybe you are in a “life-sustaining industry” and you just got a whole lot of overtime. Pay down your debt, donate to a charity, build up your savings. If weight loss, exercise, and/or healthy eating is on your wish list, we’ve got a pretty good motivator for getting healthy and boosting our immune systems! Find things to be thankful for even in this time of uncertainty. Grow through this experience. Don’t waste it.
Love on your team. Call them. Talk to them. Ask how they are doing. If you had to lay people off, address their fears as best you can. If your team is working overtime because you are in a “life-sustaining industry,” let them know that their sacrifices are deeply appreciated. Be humble. Be emotionally present. When people look back at this time, let them remember that they worked for someone who genuinely cared.
My mom always says, “This too shall pass.” And, yes, this, too, will pass. Until then, I leave you with a prayer of blessing:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)
About our schedule for the next few weeks... due to the current situation, our team will be working reduced hours. We are, however, still available to you and will be checking emails and voicemails and working through our active searches. We are available to serve you during this unique time.
When this blows over, we will see the labor market open up in a way that it hasn’t been open in months if not years. We’re ready to help you seize that opportunity just as soon as the timing is right!