Let’s keep our feet on the ground,” seems to be a principle that has become generally accepted. The problem is that it often prevents businesspeople, including the movers and shakers, to take even the smallest step forward. You need to keep an open mind if you are to seize the new opportunities as they emerge in the marketplace.

“It’s you who decides your future, through your mental attitude, whether positive or negative. Your mood determines your actions.”

Fear blocks the spirit of enterprise that ought to be motivating everyone who runs a business. A manager who sees the dark side of everything will have a negative influence on those further down the pecking order. That’s probably why British soldiers went into battle singing “Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag”. In Chinese, the same basic element of the word “crisis” is found in the word “opportunity”. A difficult situation should be used as a springboard from which to bounce back, not an insoluble calamity.

Humor and a good mood are vital for producing good work, and that’s why you should never economize on the morale of your employees. For example, a salesperson who can get a potential buyer to laugh has virtually won him or her over. The customer will be more relaxed and more receptive to the sales pitch.

What’s more, neither employee nor employer should ever forget that it’s the customer who pays the wages. The customer therefore needs to feel satisfied. Often all it takes to solve problems and make the customer happy is a little fantasy and imagination. But there’s no future without a past. Mistakes need to be analyzed as there may be some lessons to be learned. Experience is important, but not all decisions should be based on it. Experience needs to be reviewed on a daily basis as the environment changes and develops over time.

You need to have faith in yourself and believe in what you’re doing. There’s no point in blaming the economic crisis, the exchange rate, the weather, or your spouse. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the tracks. And take time to meet with people, sit down and talk with them, people need to learn to get to know each other, that will make the working relationship easier. If problems arise, it’s easier to admit a mistake to someone you know well and respect.

People don’t take the time to talk with each other nowadays. Sometimes the situation is a little Dilbertesque, “I’m sending you this fax to find out if you got my e-mail because I can’t reach you on your cellphone!” In communicating via computer, you are avoiding your responsibilities. It’s easier to send an e-mail than to talk to someone face-to-face.

But there’s nothing like looking someone straight in the face to get them motivated – you need to see them, let them hear your voice, make direct contact. People forget that each individual may be working for a collective, but it’s not easy to collaborate with other people because everyone, from the lowest member of staff to the boss, thinks that what they do is the most important part of the enterprise.

Bob Delbeque