By now you probably have pandemic stories to tell. Most likely due to the ubiquitous impact of the current health scenario on how we work (and where, when, why, if).
How has the pandemic fueled not only your own professional delivery of client-focused solutions? But also your teams’ and your organizations’, as you better serve each other and your clients?
Pandemic stories emerge daily, because of the continuously changing business environments in which we all work.
- First, how has the quality of deliverables been impacted? Are you more innovative in response to the business ecosystem in which you operate?
- Next, what are the greatest changes to your professional mindset, behavior and collaboration? Why is that?
- Then, how do you challenge yourself each day to move one millimeter beyond what is professionally comfortable? So everyone gets to where they need to go. Together?
Often, the small changes each of us make together each day add up over time to have a big impact on serving clients. And equally often, we tend to dismiss these small changes because we are looking for something epic and dramatic, worthy of The Avengers. Or, we will bury our collective, small victories because these are associated with embarrassing situations or toxic scenarios.
Stay simple, small, believable and one millimeter beyond what you think you can do. These are the pandemic stories worth telling.
Take the time, and courage, to discover and tell your pandemic stories. Because when you take a breath and reflect, you realize these stories about employee and client success fuel more than your own professional trajectory. You also impact employee success and client retention.
How many of your colleagues and clients wrestle with the same factors impacting the quality of their own deliverables? What are your lessons learned in the face of uncertainty and ambiguity?
And, how many colleagues and clients experience mission-critical changes in professional mindset, behavior and collaboration in their own departments or organizations? Can your learnings be applied to help them?
Your pandemic stories showcase your professional strengths and vulnerabilities. Most importantly, having the courage to tell these stories demonstrates why clients trust you to get them to where they need to go. Together. One millimeter at a time. That story is far more enduring and valuable than a typical use- or business-case, isn’t it?
What stories are parked on your shoulder? Whispering in your ear, asking to be told. You never know who listens to your story and greatly needs to hear the pandemic story you share. Today, tomorrow and moving forward.
Contact me here. Send me an email. Start to telling your pandemic stories. Your colleagues and clients are waiting to hear them.
Babette Ten Haken translates across unprofitable and unproductive communication and collaboration disconnects between the business-operations continuum. She is a card-carrying STEM professional and left-brain thinker specializing in cross-functional leadership, new product development and professional innovation. Contact Babette here. Her One Millimeter Mindset™ virtual and in-person speaking programs get everyone to where they need to go, together: one millimeter at a time. Optimize strategic business and human capital value in your organizations. Build trust to retain employees and clients co-invested in each other’s success. Her playbook of cross-functional tools, Do YOU Mean Business? is available on Amazon.com.
Image source: Adobe Stock
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