Gerry's Big Tips

The new series, Gerry's Big Decision, does have something of The Troubleshooter about it, doesn't it? Family businesses in trouble, larger than life character tells it to them straight, will they or won't they listen to the honest truth...?

However, with my hero John Harvey-Jones sadly departed, it is good to see that Gerry Robinson has taken on the job.

In a recent Radio Times article he outlined the 5 biggest mistakes he sees in family businesses, although these could largely apply in any business.

Point 4 struck me as particularly interesting - Problem: A Fatal Sense of False Optimism.

Many people believe my "Let's Be Successful Again" campaign demonstrates false optimism and point to how many businesses are failing, how many people are suffering from high food prices and wage freezes and how many shop fronts are displaying "To Let" signs rather than displaying their wares.

But my approach is never to shrug and say "It will be fine, don't worry". It is to focus on what we can do to influence our situation. Whilst a great deal may be outside our power to change, a great deal is within our power to change. But doing this successfully requires a mindset which is open to the possibilities. Just as it is dangerous to have a fatal sense of false optimism, it is dangerous to have a fatal sense of false pessimism.

As Gerry Robinson says in his article "People are brilliant at talking themselves up...I appoint people on the basis of what they've done - never on the basis of what they've said about themselves".

This is wise, of course. Equally important is not talking yourself, or your business, down. Towards the end of last year I found myself constantly thinking, and saying, that I might go out of business. This was the wrong frame of mind to make sales, to consider new business opportunities and to take the daily actions necessary to create a successful business. 

But thanks to some support from other people and a sudden realisation that only I could turn the situation around, I find myself now having the second most successful year of my business. This could not have happened if I had maintained a fatal sense of false pessimism any more than it would have happened with a fatal sense of false optimism. 

Staring reality in the eye and addressing the problems in any way you can is the only answer.   

Comments

[Doug Shaw]

"Staring reality in the eye and addressing the problems in any way you can is the only answer."

Absolutely!

I met Chris Boardman recently and amongst many useful things I took away from the meeting was his observation that you choose your own attitude. You don't have to talk it up, or talk it down, you can just choose it, and use it to be the best that you can be.