From Near-Disaster to Triumph - The Power of Resilience in Business

Earlier this week I received an unusual message from a coaching client.

It didn’t make sense.

I replied to make sure they were okay, and it turned out they’d made a significant error with a customer order.

I’m sure you’ve been there, that moment when you realise something has gone wrong with a customer, and you think ‘Oh S#1t!’.

I decided to check in with him on the phone.

Turns out that Jack had made a real blunder.

I mean, I’ve made some howlers over the years, but let me tell you, I’ve never faced one to the extent of this.

To give the story some context, this was a significant, five-figure mistake.

Jack had immediately slipped into the ‘gap’.

He was angry.

He was angry with his team that had made the error.

He was angry that he’d allowed this to happen.

And angry with himself for not having processes in place to prevent it.

Being in business is often a lonely place to be, the buck always stops with you.

Being a mentor and coach often means I have to be there for my clients, almost like a sparring partner.

The process of talking to someone else, when you’re in a difficult situation, can really help you think straight.

Jack was right to be thinking about the processes for the future, but at that moment, it wasn’t going to solve the immediate challenge he faced.

During our call, it turned out that Jack had a small window to potentially rectify the situation.

A lot of work to be done in a day with no guarantee of success.

I urged him to do whatever it takes to at least attempt to fix the mistake.

In my retail business, I’ve always said that it’s not the mistakes you make that matter, but how you correct them that counts.

I’ve had dozens of situations where I’ve taken my business from villain to hero in minutes, and I’m sure you have too.

It often requires grit, determination, resilience and an overall ‘can-do’ positive attitude to succeed.

Jack seized his opportunity and, unbelievably, pulled it off.

He took a near disaster and turned it around - an amazing effort demonstrating resilience and determination at its best.

Now he can think about the future processes to prevent this from happening again.

WWMCW stands for What Would My Customer Want?

Quite often we must remind ourselves of this and do whatever it takes.

That’s what leads to success.

Have a great week,

Mark