Recession or Resilience

Posted on April 05, 2012 by Jenna Forster, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.

Lt.-Gov. Steven Point, when presenting the recent BC throne speech said we are experiencing a “tumultuous time of uncertainty and shaken assumptions.” Daily news coverage in all media is sharing visuals of war, statistics about unemployment, environmental disasters and chronic social problems including violence and murders. Added to personal concerns for finances, relationships and possible uncertainties in our lives, we might believe our lives must be in “recession” along with the economy.
For those who have chosen this victimized perspective Sharon Kirkey, with Canwest has stated, “Panic attacks, obsessive thinking and binge drinking… More anxiety and depression… Psychotic episodes in people vulnerable to them,” are all possible outcomes for the masses as they succumb to the recession mindset. She adds, “Worry, itself, can turn catastrophic predictions into self-fulfilling prophecies.”
In contrast to responding negatively to the news casts, Frank Farley, past president of the American Psychological Association and others say the current downturn could be an opportunity to re-think careers or work life, spending and saving habits, and to get new skills and training to better prepare for when the economy does turn around. This means calling upon our capacity for resiliency. We can choose to “rebound, return to a previous condition of optimism and strike out on adventures that can change our lives.”
Some people may see challenges as opposition while others look for the opportunities presented. As we learn from life’s experiences, adapt, rely on our self-confidence and reputation, maintain our relationships, express our feelings, and expect things to work out favorably, we draw positive influences into our lives.
An example of such creative adaptability has been witnessed as Kia Canada and Toyota Credit Canada announced a new strategy to encourage purchases. They shifted away from price cuts and low interest rates and announced their “job-loss guarantee programs.” Lose your job, return your new vehicle! It may not end their decline in sales, but it’s won good will from consumers. Kia and Toyota were not the first to make such a promise, but by joining the innovators in the industry, they’ve set a standard for customer service.
Another industry has found a surprising response from Alberta consumers. Edmonton plastic surgeons found scores of women come to a crowded ballroom in the Fantasyland Hotel at West Edmonton Mall. They all wanted to know more about the latest in cosmetic procedures. These consumers have decided if they must work for an extra decade to dig themselves out of debt, they are going to do it looking ten years younger.
Solutions arise from how we look at the problems you face. Spend a few sessions with a mentor, friend or good coach and renew your healthy perspectives, the ones that have brought you successfully this far in life. They just need a little brushing off and encouragement.

J.Forster & Associates “Focusing on the Human Capital of your Business”
tel 1(866)954-3399 | jf@jfandassociates.com | www.jfandassociates.com