At a time when many people are struggling, you should give extra thought to how and where you share your wins.
A lot of people are hurting professionally and financially from the pandemic, but not everyone is failing. Some people haven’t been negatively impacted and are even thriving.
Sharing wins in a time like this can feel out of touch, but what we need right now is hope.
When you talk about your own situation, you need to be aware of your audience. Six months ago, it was easy to have one message for everyone, but today business leaders need to be nuanced in how they communicate to colleagues, employees, and customers.
Press pause before you share a success story. Put it through the lens of how the person will react. It’s one thing to be brilliant, but be brilliant at demonstrating your brilliance.
Determine where the listener is in terms of the economy. Knowing this helps you craft a message that is not insensitive. You’ll need multiple messages to acknowledge what is happening in the world. The way in which you communicate will give people context around your success—an upside for them beyond you simply bragging.
If you’re talking to someone whose business is booming, such as someone in the technology industry, you can talk about your success, but share how your results come from a special circumstance or new creative point of view. There’s less caution when the other person is equally booming.
If the person has been significantly impacted by the pandemic, such as someone in the hospitality industry, dial down the volume and frequency of your messages, but provide inspiration if you can.
Sharing success stories of people who have turned their businesses around can help. For example, Ryan Choura, owner of Choura Events, saw his business model collapse when the music festivals he served were canceled. He flipped his business model and started providing temporary structuring for hospitals and outdoor dining setups for restaurants.
Providing hope and positivity may not always land well.
You have to expect the unexpected with how someone might respond. If you’re thoughtful in planning and intentional in how you communicate, decide if the feedback you get from people is fair. Then adapt future messages.
But don’t stop sharing. You may wonder why you should talk about success right now or even feel guilt, but you need to get over those feelings. People want help. Your customers want you to be successful. Your employees want to know the company is doing well. Investors and your board of directors want to hear success. That’s your why. This isn’t about being grandiose, showing ‘Aren’t I brilliant?' It’s about lifting others up and instilling confidence in the future.
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