Have the courage to make the changes YOU deserve!
How to Hit Curveballs Away and Build a Resilient Business
In baseball, a curveball is a pitch that breaks (or curves) downward, making it difficult for hitters to time and hit effectively. In business, curveballs are challenging situations that tend to feel like they’ve come out of nowhere. They’re unexpected, unpredictable and hard to navigate.
The odd curveball is inevitable. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Not that long ago, we were forced to weather a pretty big one – a global pandemic. Curveballs can be personal too. For example, a family crisis, a period of ill health, or a random inset day at your child’s school that you’d forgotten about. We’ve all done it! Curveballs can also be connected to the nature of your business or the result of changes in your industry. Think supply chain issues, increased costs, or the advent of AI and other forms of automation.
So, if curveballs are inevitable, what can we do about them? Let’s go back to baseball for a moment. To effectively hit a curveball, a hitter needs to adjust their stance and swing plane, recognising the pitch early and adjusting their approach to maintain a consistent swing. In business, the key to hitting curveballs away is resilience.
Why is Resilience Important in Business?
Resilience enables us to adapt when things change, overcome setbacks, and thrive in an unpredictable industry or environment. It's not just about surviving crises. It’s about having the capacity and the skills to innovate and emerge stronger as a result. Ultimately, a resilient business is better equipped to manage disruptions, seize opportunities, and maintain long-term success.
How to Build a Resilient Business
Building a resilient business means focussing on three key things – mindset, strategy and wellbeing. Let me break them down for you…
- Mindset
A resilient mindset is a growth mindset. It embraces challenges and persists in the face of adversity. It approaches setbacks with a positive attitude, encourages problem-solving, and focuses on finding solutions. Read Does Mindset Really Matter? for more on this, including my top mindset boosting tips. - Strategy
Being resilient means responding rather than reacting. A reaction is usually quick and emotional, driven by our immediate feelings rather than thought or reflection. It’s often automatic and can easily lead to unintended, and sometimes negative, consequences. A response, on the other hand, is more thoughtful and considered. It involves analysing the situation, considering possible outcomes, and choosing the right course of action.
We can make it easier for us to respond rather than react to curveballs by proactively identifying and mitigating risks. This reduces the likelihood of crises and minimises their impact.
There will always be things you can’t predict or fully prepare for {see the aforementioned global pandemic} but creating policies and action plans for the potential risks you can foresee will definitely make your business more resilient.
- Wellbeing
A resilient mindset and all the strategy in the world will only take you so far. If you neglect your wellbeing, the overall resilience of your business is at risk.
It can be useful to imagine yourself like any other tool you use to do your job. If you take care of that tool and maintain it carefully, it should serve your business for a long time. If you don’t, there’s a strong chance it will wear out and break. Sure, you can send it away to be repaired, but it could still be out of action for a while.
Tending to your wellbeing to improve your resilience can take many forms. It might mean learning how to have better boundaries or restructuring your business model so you can take time off. Perhaps you need to ask for help, outsource some tasks, or add more self-care to your life outside of work. Maybe you need more life outside of work full stop!
Ultimately, building a resilient business means taking your personal wellbeing as seriously as any other aspect of your job.
Beware ‘Toxic Resilience’ and Burnout
There’s a big difference between healthy resilience (i.e. the kind of resilience I want for you and your business) and what’s known as ‘toxic resilience’.
Healthy resilience emphasises adapting to challenges, acknowledging your struggles and seeking support. It prioritises self-care and personal boundaries. In contrast, toxic resilience focuses on pushing through. It reflects an unhealthy pressure to keep going, no matter what, ignoring your personal needs and failing to consider your mental, emotional or physical wellbeing. Unfortunately, this type of resilience is often perpetuated by societal norms that link our self-worth to productivity and celebrate success at any cost.
I believe toxic resilience is dangerous and can lead to burnout. Read How to Be Productive and Avoid Burnout Out and How to Beat Creative Burnout for more on this subject.