Getting Upsurge

Never before have we had to measure business success in such economic free-fall. We normally measure it through business development, profits, customer service etc. Now is the time to add determination and confidence. Why? You will get an upsurge because they create a powerful interaction.

Here’s the method:

1. On a scale of 1–10 with 10 the highest point and 1 the lowest, choose where you are now for each of ability, determination and confidence to go forward.

2. Ask yourself what brings each scale as high as it is?

Let’s say at the moment that your ability and determination are high and your confidence is low.

Even if your confidence in your business going forward is 3, don’t ask yourself why are you only 3, but what is keeping confidence as high as 3?

Asking yourself what’s working even at 3 tells you what you should keep doing that is integral to moving forward. So think back to what you have been doing and how you have been going about things to reach each number.

3. Then ask where you want to be on each scale? What will be good enough for your business to move forward?

It might be that just seeing that your determination is already at 7 is enough to energise new ideas and activities even if your confidence is lower. It might be if your confidence moved from 3 to 4 you would be inspired again.

As the scales are interactive you will see they don’t all need to be high to feel re-energised.

4. To move up, choose a scale and imagine, truly imagine how you would notice if you had moved your business up just one point on that scale.

• What would you be seeing if you had moved up just one point?
  What would you be doing similarly to now, what would you be doing differently?
  What difference would that be making to your customers, to your employees?
  How would you notice yourself making that difference?
  How would others notice you making that difference?

Make these descriptions of what you would notice small, tiny in fact. The smaller they are, the easier they are to do and the greater the upsurge for you, your customers, your employees and your business.

Carey Glass is an Organisational Psychologist and Management Consultant. She has built a career over 20 years spanning Europe and Australia working with teams and organisations who have got stuck or who want to progress quickly. An expert in change with ease, she co-edits an international journal devoted to transforming organisations. Her work in positive change has been cited by Harvard. Australian and European clients include ANZ, Salvation Army, PwC, NHS, Deloitte, the Co-operative Group, Oetker, Countrywide Plc.