As a business management consultant, I’ve seen the highs and lows that come with building and growing a business. From the thrill of launching a successful service offering to the disappointment of a failed campaign, the entrepreneurial journey is a rollercoaster of emotions. However, one thing I’ve learned is that resilience is the key to not only surviving but thriving over time.
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change, and keep going in the face of adversity.
It’s like having armor that protects you from the inevitable challenges that come with running a business.
In fact, studies have shown that resilience is a critical factor in entrepreneurial success.
According to a report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, entrepreneurs who are more resilient are more likely to succeed than those who are not.
So, how can you build resilience as an entrepreneur? Here are a few strategies that have helped me and my clients:
Develop a Growth Mindset
A growth mindset is a concept developed by psychologist Carol Dweck, which refers to the belief that one’s abilities and intelligence can be developed and improved over time through dedication, hard work, and learning.
Individuals with a growth mindset tend to see challenges as opportunities for growth, embrace failure as a stepping stone to success, and are more likely to persevere in the face of obstacles.
A growth mindset is particularly helpful when building resilience because it fundamentally changes how you perceive and respond to challenges and setbacks, which is essential as an entrepreneur.
Build a Strong Support Network
Research has shown that having mentors, advisors, and a network of fellow entrepreneurs can significantly impact your ability to overcome challenges.
Mentorship, in particular, has been identified as a powerful tool for building resilience.
A study published in the Journal of Business Venturing found that entrepreneurs who had mentors were more likely to exhibit behaviors associated with resilience, such as persistence and adaptability.
In addition to mentors, advisors and fellow entrepreneurs can also play a key role in a support network. Advisors provide specialized knowledge and expertise, while fellow entrepreneurs offer empathy, understanding, and camaraderie.
Together, these individuals form a support system that can help entrepreneurs weather inevitable ups and downs.
Stay Flexible
One of the most crucial ways to develop resilience is to practice adaptability.
Research shows that businesses that are able to adapt to change are more likely to succeed in the long run.
A great example is Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx.
Blakely started Spanx in 2000 with a revolutionary idea: to create comfortable, slimming undergarments for women.
After successfully launching Spanx and achieving rapid growth, Blakely faced a new challenge when the market began shifting towards athleisure wear. Instead of sticking to her original product line, she expanded Spanx to include leggings, activewear, and other clothing items that aligned with the new trend.
This pivot proved to be highly successful, as Spanx became a leader in the shapewear and athleisure markets.
Blakely’s ability to adapt to changing market trends and pivot her business model is a testament to her resilience and entrepreneurial spirit.
By embracing change and staying flexible, you position your business for sustained growth and relevance as the market evolves and changes.
Celebrate Your Successes
Celebrate successes, no matter how small.
While it’s natural to dwell on failures, focus on achievements to help cultivate a positive mindset and strengthen your ability to bounce back from setbacks. This is also why a growth mindset is so important to adopt.
It boosts confidence, provides perspective, strengthens relationships, and fosters resilience.
The journey of entrepreneurship is fraught with challenges and obstacles, but it’s how we respond to these obstacles that truly defines our success.
By developing a growth mindset, building a strong support network, staying flexible, and celebrating our successes, we can build the resilience needed to weather any storm.
Micro-commitments are small, manageable actions taken consistently over time. They are the complete opposite of grand, one-off gestures, championing instead the steady drip of effort that can lead to an ocean of impact. This concept, while simple, taps into the deep psychology of how we form habits and the intrinsic human desire for consistency and achievement.
A principle as simple as making micro-commitments stands out for its profound ability to build lasting influence and authority.
I’ve championed this approach and seen it flourish at BLUE SAGE Consulting. It holds untapped potential for professionals and businesses alike.
The Psychology Behind Micro-Commitments
At its core, the psychology behind micro-commitments revolves around cognitive dissonance. This is the uncomfortable tension that arises when our actions don’t align with our beliefs and values or fail to follow through on our commitments—when things don’t “feel right.” Conversely, when we make and keep small commitments, especially publicly, we’re driven to maintain consistency with our stated intentions, thereby reducing cognitive dissonance and bolstering our self-perception and determination.
This drive for consistency is powerful and impactful for online and offline professional influence. Regular, committed actions, no matter how small, signal reliability and dedication—traits highly valued in any professional sphere. They also build momentum, turning the potentially mighty task of establishing an online presence into manageable, achievable steps.
Consistency in Content Creation
When it comes to building professional influence online, consistency in content creation is vital. Here, micro-commitments can be a game-changer. For example, publishing a post every Wednesday, sharing industry insights biweekly, or commenting on peers’ content daily are micro-commitments in action. They emphasize that you are engaged with others and involved in different conversations. Though small, these actions compound over time, enhancing your visibility and establishing your voice as a thought leader in your space.
This consistent engagement keeps you visible within your network and beyond, slowly expanding your influence. It also feeds the algorithms that govern our online world, increasing the likelihood that your content will be seen and shared, thus amplifying your reach. Remember, a steady drip of effort can lead to an ocean of impact.
Implementing Micro-Commitments in Your Business
So, how can businesses and professionals implement micro-commitments into their content creation and posting schedules? Here are a few practical strategies:
Start Small: The beauty of micro-commitments is that they are easy to manage without much effort. Choose actions that are achievable within your current resources and constraints. This could mean starting with one post weekly or dedicating 15 minutes daily to engaging with your network.
Be Specific: Vague goals breed inaction and can lead to frustration. Define your micro-commitments with as much specificity as possible. Instead of “post more often,” commit to “posting an industry-related article every Tuesday morning.”
Public Accountability: Announce your commitments publicly, or at least to a circle of peers or colleagues. This garners support and increases your accountability, leveraging the social pressure to follow through, which may be just the push you need.
Track and Reflect: Keep a log of your commitments and their outcomes. This not only measures your consistency but also helps you reflect on your strategy for better results.
Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate each completed step. This positive reinforcement strengthens your commitment habit and keeps the momentum going, even when progress seems slow.
The Cumulative Impact of Micro-Commitments
The beauty of micro-commitments lies in their cumulative impact. Each small action builds upon the last, creating a tapestry of influence that, over time, can surpass even the most ambitious of initial goals. It’s a testament to the power of consistency, patience, and an incremental approach to achievement.
At BLUE SAGE Consulting, we’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of micro-commitments. From enhancing personal brands to launching new businesses, the principle remains the same: small, regular actions can and do lead to significant outcomes.
In the digital arena, where attention is fleeting and competition fierce, the ability to commit to and consistently execute a micro-commitment strategy can be your greatest asset. This method champions persistence, rewards patience, and ultimately leads to the building of an authentic and enduring professional influence.
So, as you navigate the complexities of the online professional world, remember the power of the small. In the realm of building influence and authority, micro-commitments can lead to the most monumental achievements.
If teaching had a playbook, it might include lesson plans, class materials, presentations, exercises, activities, and assessments that support the course learning objectives. When I walk into a classroom, I’ve got my playbook ready for that day’s class. But last week’s classes were different from any other, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. That’s when I taught a face-to-face summer course at a college in Cambridge, Massachusetts to pilot in-person teaching for courses in the fall. This was a daunting experience filled with uncertainty and trepidation, one that many educators will be faced with come fall. Here are some lessons that I learned from that experience.
A few months ago, the startling realization of a raging pandemic catapulted students and faculty online in a matter of days. The shift to online teaching was a case study in agility. Faculty from our campuses around the world pooled their knowledge and technical platform experience as we prepared to welcome students to our online campus. After a few days of teaching online, we became accustomed to rows of boxes on a computer screen instead of rows of students in a classroom.
I can’t say that I’m an expert in pedagogy and teaching strategies but having pioneered teaching in a COVID-era classroom with twenty-seven students, I have a unique perspective that is different from classes I have taught over the past twenty-three years. If you are planning to join your students in the classroom this year, consider the opportunity to rethink what that means for you.
Preparing for a COVID-era class takes more time and thoughtfulness than before.
The decision to enter the classroom wasn’t an easy one to make. Friends and family voiced their concerns, and most of us had questions about how an in person class would run. Given that we would be the only class on campus at the time, the associated risk seemed manageable. After thinking through the emotional and psychological aspects of teaching in a COVID-era classroom, I started to plan. Christine I. McClure taught an in-person class this summer at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. She notes that “there is definitely a learning curve to COVID-style teaching, and it is a lot of work”. Be sure to set aside enough time for planning. In my case, a colleague and I had originally designed this new course, assuming that it would be taught in a face-to-face classroom. Once our classes moved to virtual delivery, I redesigned the course accordingly. The final version of the course turned out to be different than the other two versions since safety guidelines for student interaction and movement in a confined space had to be factored in. Fortunately, I had allocated enough time in my schedule for the course redesign and preparation.
There are lots of moving parts involved in a COVID-era classroom.
I didn’t quite realize how much the physical classroom itself is an element of learning, especially since the topics that I teach lend themselves to interactivity and experiential learning. When I entered the school for a preliminary site visit, aside from the fact that there were no students or faculty the building, it felt different. The lobby welcomed guests to evenly space themselves as they entered through the key card turnstiles. Crowded elevators are now limited to only two people per ride, with emblems on the floor that mark the distanced location where each rider should stand. The classroom traffic flow was marked: entry and exit are limited to specific doors; signage marks the movement among seats/tables in the classroom, just like in the grocery store.
If students will be moving around in your classroom, consider how that might work. Movement in the classroom should be thoughtfully choreographed to factor in safety guidelines. In my case, twenty-seven students were situated in a flexible classroom with six feet between each seat/table. Consider how activities such as team discussions and bathroom breaks might be handled to minimize movement and contact within the classroom. For example, during the break, students were invited to exit the classroom in groups in order to minimize the traffic in the bathrooms.
Classes that feature a good amount of group work may require alterations. Instead of working side-by-side, student teams will need to work across physical distance in the classroom, making it difficult to hear one another (and read one’s lips) while wearing masks and face shields. I used a lavalier microphone initially but abandoned it after the microphone clip slipped off my face shield one too many times. It took a while for us to learn how to modulate our voices so that everyone could be heard and understood.
What are the considerations for your classroom?
Take advantage of available meeting rooms and other spaces.
Consider how your class is “typically” structured. Make use of any space that is available to you outside of the classroom. We were fortunate to have access to team rooms (smaller meeting rooms) where 3 to 4 students could meet comfortably within safety protocols. Chairs were positioned on marked locations to ensure proper distancing. It is worth noting that working in teams requires discipline and constant reminders to limit contact and reinforce new habits.
There were many safeguards in place to ensure a safe academic environment. A good amount of outreach was sent to students before the start of the class which probably contributed to their awareness. The course, entitled Persuasion and Influence, was an intensive 4-day elective for master’s students from around the world. There were several pre-requisites for students to join the class: participants could join in-person only and then only after completing a mandatory quiz to acknowledge that they had watched the “Back to campus” information video and completed a self-declaration. Students that had not properly quarantined in advance of the course start date (if required) were not allowed to join the class. In addition, daily alerts were sent to each student to inquire about their physical well-being.
It’s important to set the tone for your students.
Being in a COVID-era classroom is a brave choice. The way that we handle this choice, as educators, is up to us. Many students in our classrooms will be apprehensive about being back to school. Many of our faculty will be apprehensive as well. It’s up to us to set the stage and the tone for our students’ learning experience.
I anticipated what the students’ mindset might be, and we spent a lot of time in open discussion at the beginning of class. Just like with other courses, we started with student introductions and expectations for the course. Typically, I ask students to jot down their expectations for the course and for learning, and then post their responses on the wall at the front of the room. We use this to get to know one another and introduce the course. In this classroom, however, I used a Mentimeter poll for students to share their thoughts in order to minimize movement and contact.
Many of the comments revealed what students were thinking: “I hope to be COVID-free by the end of class,” “I’m happy just to be around people again.” Students talked about how they were feeling and what it means to be back in a classroom after months away, much in the way that I noted in a recent essay, Canary in the Coal Mine or Canary in the Classroom?One of our guest speakers acknowledged the courage that students demonstrated by being in the classroom. We talked about how we are changing habits in our learning environment and about restrictions and ways to encourage psychological and physical safety in the classroom. Consider different ways that you might enforce these new habits in your classroom.
In a recent McKinsey report, Amy Edmondson notes that “For many people during the pandemic, the explicitness of the physical lack of safety has been experienced as a shared fear, which has allowed them to be more open and intimate and more able to voice their thoughts and concerns with colleagues. This collective fear thus becomes a potential driver of collaboration and innovation, further contributing to an open environment for producing and sharing ideas that under normal conditions may have remained unshared.” Glimpses of this collective fear surfaced during the four-day course and contributed to a collective sense of community.
Make safety a shared responsibility in the classroom to reinforce new habits.
This one might seem obvious, but I wasn’t quite sure how to approach the topic until the students were in the classroom. The floor at the front of the room was marked with painter’s tape around the “professor’s bubble” that included the podium. In order to minimize physical contact, the goal is to stay within the “bubble” and for students to stay in their physically distanced seats. “I expect that we are going to give each other feedback and keep each other honest. So if you’re observing somebody that’s not distancing, it’s okay to mention it. If you see me walking out of my bubble, raise your hand and let me know”, I explained. Ten minutes later, a student raised her hand: “You’re outside of the bubble, professor.” From that point, we established the norm to remind one another, constantly, to follow safety precautions.
With safety at the forefront, it’s important to rethink human interaction and creative ways for students to stay engaged with the course topics while meeting learning objectives.
Modify your teaching strategies to take advantage of technology.
Students presented a preview of their project on the last day of class, which would typically involve a presentation by the entire team at the front of the classroom. One team member would insert a USB drive in the podium computer and then remove it when they were finished. In order to minimize contact and movement I set up a section in Canvas where teams uploaded the presentations. I downloaded each presentation, thereby avoiding the need for any student to touch the podium computer. We established a rule that only one person per team could use the slide clicker, which they picked up and returned to a table. After each use, I wiped down the device and anyone that touched it washed their hands. Student teams stood at the front of the classroom (in the “professor’s bubble”), physically distanced, and delivered their presentations.
We used technology to bring the outside guest speakers closer to the class when students joined the Zoom session from their computers while they were seated in the classroom, and the guest speaker was projecting on a large screen at the front of the room. There are other techniques that you may want to try in your environment. For example, when students dispersed to team rooms, I opened a Zoom session for the entire class. One student joined from each team in order to connect the entire class from their physical team rooms. We also experimented with using WhatsApp to send instructions and questions to each team while they were in their team rooms. Using virtual technology in a physical setting is still a work-in-progress but it can be useful when some of the students are dispersed, effectively tethering all of us together.
I can say that I felt differently from the first day of class to the last day. The kickoff was a bit quirky – meeting one another for the first time, adjusting masks, seating arrangements, safety protocols and teaching a course I had not taught before. What surprised me the most about this in-class experience? It will take more than a four-day course to change habits that we have developed over years of teaching and learning. I was surprised by how our “pioneer community” of learners had developed a sense of camaraderie during our time together, perhaps because of our shared experience and the newness of it all. With practice and persistence, hopefully the precautions that we have taken will result in a safe learning environment for all of us. I also discovered a silver lining: due to the lighter-than-usual traffic, my 75-minute commute has been cut in half.
Are you a teacher who has taught in a COVID-era classroom?
How did your prepare for it? What was the student experience?
About the author:
Pamela Campagna MBA, CMC is the President of BLUE SAGE Consulting, Inc. a certified women-owned management consulting firm. Pamela is a board member and chair of the Marketing and Membership Committee of CMC-Global Institute, a virtual global community for professional management consultants. She is also a Professor of Practice at Hult International Business School in Cambridge, MA where she has been teaching leadership, strategy and management courses since 2014.
A text message I’ve received many times in the past few weeks from my daughter – a millennial whose employer (along with her husband’s) has decided to wait until 2021 before they allow employees back into the workplace. I am a primary caregiver for two octogenarians (one of whom recently suffered a stroke). I am a mother, a sister, an aunt, a daughter, a consultant, and a professor.
I have been “asked” to teach an upcoming course on Persuasion and Influence in a face-to-face classroom on July 6, 2020. During this time of uncertainty, we’re encountering situations we couldn’t have imagined even a few months ago. Situations challenge our beliefs, persistence, and the world we knew before the pandemic.
I’ve been a teacher for most of my life, and for the past 20+ years I’ve been paid for it.
Feelings of Going Into The Classroom
Although my university is adopting the necessary precautions and following state guidelines, the uncontrollable reopening aspects are difficult to anticipate. Our student population is skewed toward global learners, many of whom opt to attend university in the U.S. to experience the social aspects of living abroad.
While we may be able to enforce social distancing, personal hygiene practices, and mask-wearing on campus, we can’t ensure these practices outside of campus.
Many articles characterize the risk of returning to the classroom:
“But as much as I love brick-and-mortar teaching, I shudder at the prospect of teaching in a room filled with asymptomatic superspreaders,” wrote Paul M. Kellermann, Teaching Professor of English at Penn State University.
At the same time, researchers and government entities lay out the fact that reopening our schools is inevitable.
Student PTSD
Safety considerations aside (but of paramount importance), there is also the student experience. When COVID-19 started its rampage worldwide, I taught in a “physical presence” classroom of 75 students. The direct impact on my students tracked the sickness as it spread from Asia to Europe.
Each day, new reports of sick or dying friends and family members flowed into class discussions. Students lived through the trauma of the onset of city, state, and country shutdowns; many of them hastily returned to the safety of their families in their home countries.
Within days, the university programs shifted to online instruction before the end of the term, so students quickly experienced a change in lifestyle and education. During next week’s in-person class, I’ve allotted time in my lesson plan to discuss students’ experiences and re-entry to encourage a psychologically safe classroom that supports a physically safe one.
Preparation
Preparing to teach a course during a pandemic has a subtle yet important impact on pedagogy and learning objectives. My teaching style is driven by movement and use of space in the classroom – all of which must be rethought and rearranged.
Instead of moving among teams of students in the classroom, each interaction comes with a thoughtful 6-feet of distance.
Instead of ideating around a piece of paper taped to a wall, students will take turns adding their thoughts to a page (using their own assigned markers, of course).
A safe classroom requires down-to-the-minute planning to anticipate social distancing and safety measures and extra time needed to do so.
Canary In The Classroom
What can we learn from the experience of cautiously reopening our classrooms? How will this change the way that we teach or the learning experience of our students? There is certainly more to come as we explore this new way of learning.
Pamela Campagna MBA, CMC is the President of BLUE SAGE Consulting, Inc. a certified women-owned consulting firm. Pamela is a board member and chair of the Marketing and Membership Committee of CMC-Global Institute, a virtual global community for professional management consultants.
She is also a Professor of Practice at Hult International Business School, where she has taught leadership, strategy, and management courses since 2014.
Perhaps, like many people around the world, you made New Year Resolutions as last year rolled into this one. Items such as eating healthier, getting organized and losing weight typically top the list of resolutions people commit to in the waning hours of New Year’s Eve. Many business leaders take advantage of the fresh start of a new year as well, vowing that this will be the year they conquer social media, expand their marketing efforts, improve their leadership skills or finally add some expertise to their bench.
January 1st dawns bright with promise and bursting with potential. The unfortunate reality, however, is that January 31st often shows no sign of the changes avowed just a few weeks earlier. A stunning 92% of people who make resolutions abandon them completely, afraid/unwilling/unsure of how to make the changes necessary to be successful.
How can you reach your goal?
Want to ensure that you’re in the 8% of people who make (and keep) their resolutions? A careful look at the habits of people who keep their resolutions provides insight into how to make sure you’re one of the few who maintain their resolve through the year.
Statistically, simply by making a resolution, you’re more likely to be successful at attaining success than those who don’t bother to make any commitment to change. (Seems rather obvious, doesn’t it?) It’s an important distinction, though. To be successful at improving or progressing, you must first determine where to make a change, and what the change needs to be. Put your resolution in writing as both a reminder and a commitment to yourself.
Another important component in reaching any goal is seeking professional help. In addition to acting as an accountability partner, a professional adviser can provide you with expertise and insight that can help you to determine what changes can and should be made to propel you to success. In your personal life, it could mean hiring a personal trainer, signing up for a class or learning a new language from a native speaker. For the business professional, partnering with a consultant may be exactly what you and your company need to reach new levels of success this year. A skilled expert can move you in the right direction.
What kind of consultant should you hire?
Do a quick internet search for ‘business consultants’ and you’ll get thousands of results. How do you know what type of consultant you need and which one would be the best to help you accomplish your goals? Finding the right consultant is imperative for your success. Look for a consultant who can offer assistance in multiple areas of business management, with proven success and verifiable client testimonials. Consultants with strong accreditations and experience in the business world will be able to readily identify areas that need improvement and offer you both support and advice.
What sets BLUE SAGE Consulting apart?
BLUE SAGE has been in the consulting field for decades, with accreditations and accolades and experience from some of the biggest names in the business world. (Find out more about us here.)
Prior to joining BLUE SAGE, our team of experts worked in a variety of fields, handling real-world business challenges and opportunities faced by market-leading public and private enterprises. From assessment, strategizing and execution, BLUE SAGE Consulting stays with our clients every step of the way. Regardless of the size of the organization, BLUE SAGE offers hands-on, focused attention to help our clients figure out exactly what they need to succeed. Most important, we not only get our clients to that point, but we also roll up our sleeves to work alongside our clients to make it happen.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a look at some of the issues that you may be facing in your organization this year and exploring how BLUE SAGE Consulting can help your business thrive in the coming months.
Don’t let your resolutions fall by the wayside. Let BLUE SAGE Consulting help you develop a strategy for success and move from “I should…” to “I did.”
Contact us today to find out how we can make this year the one when you get things done.
Every April, my hometown of Hopkinton, MA – the start of the Boston Marathon – turns into an athlete’s village when tens of thousands of runners and spectators descend on our streets to make their way along the 26.2 mile course into Boston.
In years past, we would make it a point to be out of town during “the race”, including in 2007. That was the year when Mike Olivieri (now Executive VP at American Business Journals) made an appeal to guests at a Boston Business Journal-sponsored breakfast, asking if any Hopkintonians in the audience would be willing to give shelter to a marathon team the morning of the race. A Nor’easter storm was threatening to hit that morning, and Mike and his team from AccesSportAmerica were hoping to stay dry up until the start of the race. Mike and his team camped out at our “safe house”, which was close to the starting line, and a tradition was born that continues today.
Over the years, our family has hosted runners from around the world during the morning of the Boston Marathon: first time runners, elite runners (who knew?) and family from the Chicago Running Club. This year was especially memorable as the first race following the Boston Marathon bombings. Runners from Ireland, the UK and five different states arrived hours before the race, conducting their personal rituals, sharing strategies for completing the race and getting ready for personal triumph.
This year’s Marathon has ended, and the last athletes have crossed the finish line, which makes me think about some lessons behind our town’s slogan – “It All Starts Here” – and how they might apply to the business world, including:
Preparation is key, and repetition leads to improvement. The town of Hopkinton has hosted this event for the past 90 years, and each year it seems to go off without a hitch. With heightened security this year, the preparation was a bit different. Nonetheless, the town returned to a sense of normalcy within hours after the last runner left the gate. My guess is that 90 years of “getting ready” for this race were critical in anticipating and preparing for the unexpected.
Common interests can be infectious. In her post “The Only Day People Know My Hometown”, Hopkintonian Shannon Motyka gives her perspective of how the Marathon has been a part of her life. Whether or not you’re a runner, it’s impossible to not get caught up in the spirit of the race and the sense of community that comes from a shared experience. Are there ways that you can encourage your customers and prospects to share common interests or discuss business topics? Are there common topics and specific business issues that you’re seeing in the market?
Never say never.This year, many who had hung up their running shoes came back to Hopkinton for the 118th running. Some runners began training last April following the bombings; others were determined to finish what they had started last year. A common theme that I heard is how different this year is from years past. Remembering that things change – whether it’s business conditions, personal training goals or a company’s overall success – can help keep an open mind.
It’s never too late to be what you might become. This year, we met Katherine Beiers – an 81-year-old runner from Santa Cruz who is #1 in her age group. Katherine began running at the age of 49, on her lunch hour. She explained to me that she doesn’t really like running, but she does looks forward to the rewards of a good run – being outside, increased energy and invigorated spirit. What an inspiration! Katherine’s approach is to look at the rewards of running – the outcome, and not the struggle of each mile. Whether you’re building an inbound business, launching a product or improving your company’s revenue model, think about the rewards, and remember that it’s never too late to try new things.
Have you learned any lessons from this year’s Boston Marathon? Are there other observations that might apply to the business world?
