Seize the RE’S

Seize the RE’S As we move through the year with more unknowns than certainty, more mysteries than facts, more questions than answers, we all need to test ourselves in new ways, examine our beliefs, and scan our routines.  We have to be ready to rewrite the script.  I recommend carving out time to explore the “RE’s”.  Do this for yourself, your teams, your families, your business. Exactly are the RE’s? RE-engineer…your sequence of events to explore another way of doing something you have done for years.  Map out your workflow, look for gaps, areas that are not working as smoothly as they can be.  

TIP: Ask interns, new hires, children.  Their fresh eyes may yield missed opportunities, a new perspective, and reveal ways to save time and money. 

REeducate …yourself on the numbers, the competition, the latest data. The speed of new information coming into the world requires you to broaden what you thought you knew yesterday…and often. 

TIP: Change up your sources of information, find and follow new experts, attend a conference, listen to podcasts, take an online class.

REveal…your mistakes, your flaws, your moments of awe, your highs and lows.  Revealing different sides of yourself keeps things real and not being real takes up an awful lot of energy.  Being vulnerable is one of the most important leadership traits. People need to see that you’ve failed and what you’ve learned from it, or what’s amazed you and why.

TIP: Start small.  Share a story of a mistake you made and what you learned.  Share an experience that made you say “wow!” and the emotions you felt.

REview…your beliefs.  Ask yourself why you believe what you believe.  Is it time to shift this belief based on a new experience, fresh data or recent exploration?  Consider reviewing your team vision, values and goals. 

TIP: If your personal or team values are unclear, and your vision does not roll off the tongue it is likely time for a review.

REorganize…your resources or your space.  Take a step back to mix and match the things you use daily or the space you live in in new ways.

TIP: Get visual. Create A, B, and C options or scenarios to see how things may look in a new configuration.  Test it. Shift it. Shuffle it again.

RExamine…your approach, priorities, strategy, structure, mindset.  When you are not achieving your desired results, something needs to be inspected, scanned, or studied.  And this may take a bit of time and energy to uncover. TIP: Write your ideal state on the top of a page.  Examine your limiting beliefs and the story you are telling yourself.  Write this down and then rewrite it with everything you WILL do to achieve your idea. REunite…with people you’ve forgotten or people in your network. This new world may mean you have lost touch with people that might actually help you perform better.

TIP: Reunite with an old colleague, a mentor, a friend who motivates you.  Send a handwritten note, call them, text them, Link In with them. 

REassure…your team, colleagues, clients, and family that you are doing what you need to do to stay safe, meet deadlines, put things in place to get things done, and that you will be transparent and surface anything that needs to be shared.

TIP: Consider what the people in your world need most.  Everyone is different.  Some may need a plan of action, some may need some data and evidence, some may need a story, some may want to see the big picture.

END HERE: Review your notes. Look for themes. Decide on two next actions you can take that will make a positive impact to you personally or professionally. Surviving today starts with being present, being aware, being curious and interested. That requires asking yourself the tough questions, capturing your thoughts and taking action. There is no time like the present to seize the RE’s.