A tool I often use in my work as a life coach and business consultant—and in my personal life as well—is “reframing.” Reframing is looking at a situation from different vantage points or perspectives. My favorite reframing question is: “What could be good about this situation?”
Like many businesses, mine suffered a downturn during the years of the pandemic. Companies, worldwide, were trying to adjust in whatever ways they could to simply survive. I did the same. Two plus years of stress from uncertainty were hard on all of us. Thankfully my business was able to weather the storm and things are really going well now. Many of my client’s businesses are once again doing well too.
One morning during the darkest days of the pandemic (I had lost friends and family to the scourge—and my business was on the ropes), I was sitting quietly after my morning meditation trying to find something to feel positive about—something to bring me some happiness. I worked up the courage to ask my favorite reframing question, “What could be good about this situation.” Then, I started to honestly assess my personal circumstances. Among the distinctions I came up with were these: 1) I am still alive and appreciate the blessing of good health more than I ever have. 2) I have had time to think deeply about my life and what I really want out of it. As a result, I have decided to make some important changes.
In my coaching work, I have discovered that time away from the office—or even losing a job—during the pandemic gave people time to really think and reassess what they want from life. Some are choosing to pursue different paths, and others have changed perspectives regarding life and what really matters most.
In the 90s, a significant part of my business was training and consulting on company identity, culture, and direction (vision, values, mission, objectives, etc.) or “strategic planning.” That area of my business went away for two decades. Now, I am experiencing a rebirth of interest in that topic. Companies are discovering that changes during the past few years have affected their customers and their markets. One example is that many people who have worked from home are not eager to go back to an office environment. Another reality is that companies are having to compete more vigorously in the labor market for good employees. Now, they have to sell their value propositions to potential employees!
I have enjoyed working with companies, once again, to create cultures that will help them attract and retain good employees and enable them to compete successfully in a changing marketplace. One of the foundational questions I have used to encourage creative movement forward is “What could be good about this situation.” As a coach and consultant, I have come to believe that, oftentimes, there is a direct correlation between the quality of the questions we are willing to ask and consider and the levels of success and happiness we are able to achieve.