History was made over the weekend with the first ever launch of a private spacecraft carrying two Americans to the International Space Station. Upon arriving, a series of steps were taken before the astronauts could move from the capsule to the Space Station. After 19 hours, the hatch opened and another 15 minutes of checks were required. And they were accomplished methodically, with fixes to the equipment along the way. There was no rushing to get out. Safety was important and all the steps were followed. And as a result, the mission was successful.

Are you making sure you are not rushing to get to the end and miss critical steps along the way?

With stay at home orders still in effect, people are out walking on a regular basis. In my area, many of the roads do not have sidewalks, causing people to walk in the road. When on a sidewalk, the rule of thumb is to walk the same way traffic flows. But on the road with no sidewalks, the rule of thumb is to walk opposite the flow of traffic so you can see cars coming at you. But very few people make the adjustment and walk opposite traffic.

Going with the flow and not adjusting when conditions change happens all the time in business and in life. The key is to notice that conditions have actually changed. Once you do, you be able to make the appropriate adjustments.

The cat was crouched in the road eyeing a critter in the ditch on the side of the road. It was clearly planning it’s attack. Then a car appeared, speeding, from a dip in the road. It was clear the driver was not paying attention to the road ahead. I held up my hand in a stop sign and the other pointing to the cat in the road. Clearly the driver didn’t see me either. The cat didn’t see the car coming as it was focused on the critter. At the last minute, the car swerved and braked. The cat ran right in front of the car. As panic set in, the cat emerged and ran off. It was only luck that the cat survived.

There is so much going on right now with the pandemic, that it is easy to miss hazards in your path. How are you making sure you don’t?

As we continue to adjust to working in the era of social distancing, many people have shared they are busy. Even more busy than before their community went into lockdown. Sometimes it is due to more outreach with remote teams. And other times it is to learn more. And of course there is juggling a family at home.

With all the busyness, are you making progress? When we get to the other side, will you look back and be happy with how you spent your time? It’s not too late to make adjustments if they are needed!

The way information flows is always interesting. Word of mouth is always the most powerful. And that is certainly true now.

In speaking with a number of business owners and leaders over the last few weeks, the gap in awareness of programs available to help business through these times was significant. Some people heard about the programs from many sources, including people in their neighborhood. And others were completely unaware, even though they banked with banks that were lenders in the programs.

How are you plugged in? Are you getting the information and support you need to be successful right now?

We all have a list of things that need to get done. And it is easy to put them off. This weekend, I knocked two off my list: power washing my driveway and cleaning my carpet. While doing the work isn’t fun, the result is fantastic!

Many businesses now have the time to complete all those projects that will make the business run better and more efficiently, but haven’t had time to focus on them. There are many programs right now aimed at keeping people employed. Why not take the time to complete those projects that will position you to take off once things get back to normal!

It was a foggy morning. One that you could hardly see through when you were in the middle of it. But as I got to the top of the hill, the fog parted to reveal a beautiful, clear day.

That’s the thing about perspective. Sometimes you need to raise up a bit to get out of the fog and get a clear perspective.

Over the last week the reaction to the coronavirus has been truly inspiring. People have come together to help neighbors and communities. Businesses that make alcohol have started producing and donating hand sanitizer. Small businesses have started curbside pickup or home delivery. Creativity and innovation are everywhere. Are you inspired yet?

Things are changing quickly. Businesses and public institutions are shutting down quickly. People are working from home and scrambling to adjust daily life. For many it is stressful and scary. And the news seems like it is non-stop and bad. And that is why taking a moment to step outside, take a walk and observe the beauty of nature is so important right now. When was the last time you took a moment to stop and observe it?

The weather changed just a tad and the humidity level notched up just a lot. It was just enough to cause a number of women at the gym trying to fix their hair trouble. They were working against what their hair wanted to do and the hair was winning. They were fighting against nature.

The same thing happens in business. Industry conditions, the economy, the nature of products, etc. all have a natural flow. Companies that learn how to leverage that flow have the greatest success. Meanwhile, competitors that fight things and constantly struggle lose ground. How are you leveraging that natural flow to outperform your competitors?