Clarifying Your Ideas During This Crisis
Painting Pictures That Point the Way Out
I am finding that when we are not face to face, I need to improve how I communicate. Even if we’re on Skype, there not as much clarity in body language. Hearing the tone of someone’s voice can be inhibited by poor reception. There are more barriers, so I must be clearer.
One of the things I hope I will come away from this time is improving my communication skills. Let me share a few thoughts with you on this and see if we can help each other shape our conversations to make the most of every encounter we have during this difficult time. It’s something we can still use when we get back to our unrestricted lives.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. When I am sharing an idea that is foreign to someone else, it is up to me to show them the picture. If I can literally draw it out, all the better, but often I find myself needing to use word pictures.
Since I live in the world of finance (and that is already a foreign language to many people), and now I’m dealing with unprecedented changes in people’s lives from health, to work, to travel, finance and beyond, many of the things we are discussing are new ideas. How about you? Are you finding this?
Here’s a concept we rarely discussed before that is coming up a lot lately: Supply chain disruption. It’s why we can’t buy more than one package of beef at the grocery store nearby. In fact, yesterday I read that Wendy’s is wondering, “Where’s the Beef?” Tyson Foods, the maker of Jimmy Dean sausages said, it’s seen “Strong demand and ample supply of cattle, but reduced industry processing capacity” because of this pandemic.
So, here’s the disruption:
These plants are shutting down or limiting capacity because they are not working 6 feet apart. Resulting in this:
The one stepping up in this troubled situation and taking over market share seems to be Beyond Meat, who had already partnered with many retail grocers and restaurants and is building strategic partnerships to fill this gap at an enormous pace.
That helps me understand what is going on in my refrigerator and why I might be trying this meatless alternative. But, it also helps me get why I need to paint the picture for my colleagues and clients. I need to explain office redesign and use of technology and our vision for the future in ways that do not fog their brain but clarify what I am telling them.
If I say this COVID-19 pandemic may disrupt our work activities and the markets for the next two years, you could take that totally wrong and think I’m saying you are staying in lockdown until 2022. That is not what I’m saying. I do not know the future, but I know we are not going to Shelter in Place for the next two years. There are waves of this virus that will not be under control for some time. We will proceed with caution. Things will be different, but they don’t have to be terrible.
The wash-your-hands, don’t-touch-your-face message will not be gone and less physical contact with people will be a long-term mandate. But, people will return to work, we will have smaller group travel, and there is a bright future ahead. The picture I want to paint for you is not bleak. It’s cautionary, it’s thoughtful, and there is opportunity there.
I want you to think of us as the ones stepping into this troubling situation to offer solutions. Your videos from home have been terrific. Your attitudes have been outstanding, and you are at your post for the people you serve. I want to be clear in the message that we need to stay strong, be responsive, and keep holding the torch and moving people forward. This will not be a one day they ring the bell and we all go back to normal. It will be, as all the politicians say, “phased”. I imagine things spiking and receding along the way.
If we have real and meaningful communications with each other and with our clients, we will be able to lead the way to the other side of this. It may be a long journey, and I want to know you are ready for it. I hope that you know we stand ready to help you along the way.
Feel free to share your thoughts on how you see us moving forward. You can email Marie Tobin and she will pass your ideas along to our team.
About the Author
Bernie DeLaRosa, CFP®, ChFC®, CRPC®, CLU®, APMA®, CASL®, BFA™
Managing Business Consultant
- Mergers/Acquisitions/Practice Sales
- Legal Agreement Definition
- Advisor Leadership Skills
- Initial Practice Assessment