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Over the years, I have personally talked with thousands of business owners, executives and managers. I have seen a pattern develop, time and time again, during periods of loss or change. I can assure you that the rate at which you go through these stages determines how soon you can get your business back on track.
This is a refusal to believe and accept that things have changed. All efforts and energy are invested into resisting that conditions have changed. This is the point when you have your head in the sand. This is Blockbuster thinking Netflix was a fad in 2003.
The next step inevitably finds a target to blame for the change. All energy and effort is spent on finding someone to assign blame to as the reason for the current situation. Blaming others never does you good. Accept responsibility for everything in life!
This next stage involves bargaining and hoping for someone to save you. This is a low level of responsibility. For example, think of people waiting for the banks to free up capital or the government to come in and play Robin Hood and save you.
Eventually, you come to realize that things have changed and no one can save you. This results in people moving into major contraction and worsening of their own condition by saving money, energy, resources, creativity and any efforts to find a way out. This is a stage of quitting or withdrawing.
The next thing is a spurt of effort to accept conditions and do something about it resulting in inconsistent and disappointing actions. Most underestimate the degree of change (pain or loss) and then take actions based on their underestimation.
Because little actions never result in satisfactory levels of production, you will feel more disappointment, confusion and possible frustration. This disappointment should prepare you for true acceptance of the situation and what is required to dig out of it.
This last stage is when, for the first time, you or your team become fully aware of the amount of change and are now prepared to let go of the past and move into the future. You realize you need new skills. In this final stage, you will experience a reinvigoration and excitement about your business.
You are ready to take your business back to prosperity when you can answer “yes” to the following:
The rate at which you go through these stages determines how soon you can get back on track.
A New York Times bestselling author, Cardone is the world’s No. 1 sales trainer and an internationally renowned speaker on leadership, real estate investing, entrepreneurship, social media and finance. His privately-held companies have annual revenues exceeding $100 million. Forbes named him No. 1 of the “25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017.” He regularly appears on Fox News, Fox Business, and MSNBC and writes for Forbes, Success Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, and Entrepreneur. He urges his followers and clients to make success their duty, responsibility and obligation. He currently resides in South Florida with his wife and two daughters.
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