For Covid’s sake! What do we do now?

posted in Informing, Inspiring, Media -

Mark Norton, Composite Profiles MD, sat in front of a whiteboard displaying skills for adopting a Growth Mindset at their annual Building Excellence Strategy Day

For Covid’s sake! What do we do now? Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t do.

In times when we are prevented from doing so much, turn the narrative on its head and ask yourself, what is it we can do now? That’s the advice that Mark Norton gave his team for the most part of 2020. The results are impressive; including best-ever sales month, a global award, and using Covid-19’s unexpected gift of ‘time’ wisely to action some long-term growth plans.

In March 2020, Managing Directors across the world were in crisis management, trying to fathom how to steer their businesses through the Covid-19 year of unpredictability that lay ahead. Facing so much uncertainty and with restrictions in place preventing any form of business-as-usual, company directors had to become metaphorical lit beacons signalling their ships through the fog. Composite Profiles MD, Mark Norton, challenged his team not to focus on how much they can’t see, but to look past the fog and identify what they can see; a strategy rooted in positivity, growth mindset and being solutions focused.

“For the first time, we had time. We had to act fast, but the trick was not to panic.”

Fortunately, Composite Profiles’ cash flow was healthy enough to survive a period of ‘time out’ (a legacy of the financial lessons learned from surviving the 2008/9 recession). Mark didn’t panic, “For the first time, we had time. We had to act fast, but the trick was not to panic.”

Time has always been a powerful resource. There’s value in its scarcity and business gurus around the world have made millions teaching us better time management techniques. One of the most famous and simple models is Eisenhower’s Urgent v. Important Time Management Matrix. Most people spend way too much time ‘being busy’ and doing ‘urgent’ things without really stepping back and questioning how important it is. Real change comes from focusing in the top-right box.

Graph showing the 4 quadrants of Eisenhower's time management important versus urgent matrix
Eisenhower's Important V. Urgent Time Management Matrix

Mark took the opportunity to action some of Composite Profiles’ long-term plans, that all too often get put on the backburner in favour of more urgent (but often not important) matters, “Covid was great for giving us time to actually do some of the things on that list, like launching wHOLE.Protect™, our new GRP grating system.”

In the middle of a national lock-down and using a virtual team with a geographical spread from Australia to Poole, Composite Profiles launched their bespoke GRP void protection system wHOLE.Protect™. They also managed to achieve their highest ever order month by focusing on client relations and spending their time in the Q2 Important not Urgent box of the Eisenhower matrix.

Award-Winning Results

Spinning the age-old adage on its head, good things come in three. The third triumph for Composite Profiles during lockdown, was being shortlisted for the Investors in People Leadership & Management Award and scooping the winner’s trophy in the Global Business Awards for Best Metal Decking Contractor 2020.

Best Metal Decking 2020 Award Logo from Global Business Awards

Hosted by Corporate Vision, the Global Business Awards recognise Excellence from across the globe. To be crowned a winner, the judges look for evidence of extensive expertise and commitment to client service, together with innovation and a determination to succeed.

The unexpected gift that Covid-19 brought was a lesson in Time Management – so answer yourself this; when you have all the time in the world, what’s the best you can do with it? Focus on what you can do not what you can’t, and it will lead to great achievements.

Mark is passionate about business culture and loves inspiring others to thrive. If you are feeling the pressure of navigating your own ship, or just want to find out more about how Mark Norton has faced the business challenges of the Covid-19 crisis, pick up the phone and give Mark a call on 01202 659 237.

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