Closing rigs, liquidating stores, slashing budgets, conserving fuel, and on it went: over 1000 words describing the doomsday mindset all across the country's businesses. The article in the Jan. 27, 2009 Washington Post struck me, though, not only for this news.
Two quotes stand out:
1) "That is, they (companies) are not spending anything at the moment until they get a little clarity as to how this will all evolve."
2) "No on seems certain when the added capacity will be necessary."
Where are the leaders who speak positively and say, "things are difficult and HERE IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE HAPPEN."? At the end of all the cuts and reductions they just wring their hands and blame their lack of initiative on uncertainty.
I've often cringed at the word 'proactive"--so often it's a cliche thrown out to sound as if you're doing something.
I would love to read about or hear a CEO or corporate leader go on record as saying "we are proactively growing our strength." Even if this is a small part of the business and narrowly focused, it will lead to the single most important ingredient that everyone says is missing: confidence.
Without confidence there will be no investors and no credit. Without investors and credit, you'll keep cutting and slashing and wringing your hands.
How do you communicate a proactive mindset? Share your suggestions through our comment link below.
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