Challenging times! Spencer Brenneman Ring Leader Douglas Spencer checks in with some of his personal strategies for getting through them.
Hello! Douglas Spencer here with my weekly virtual checkin—my public commitment to stay positive during this ridiculous year, whether anyone wants to hear it or not.
This is the tenth week of virtual check ins which may explain the little inner dialog I had with myself this morning.
“Eesh. It’s Tuesday. I have to record a video today. What am I going to talk about? If only I knew what people want to hear, assuming they want to hear anything at all. If only. I suppose I could ask! Oh, right! Asking. Right. That’s it.”
The focus of our work at Spencer Brenneman these days really is preparing organizations for the new normal, whatever that looks like and whenever that arrives. Our work has always centered on asking the right questions to get the best results, and these times are not at all different.
When looking ahead, it is critical that you ask variations of the questions: “What challenges do you expect and how can we help.” You have to ask that to everyone who is important to your success: prospects, customers, and employees. Do not, I repeat, do not assume you know.
For example, we’re partnering with events experts Liz Page Associates right now on a survey to fundraising professionals so we can better understand the challenges they expect to face in the next year given the loss of the many fundraising events they rely on. (Let me know if you would like to take the survey when it’s ready!) We all have our suspicions, but until we ask, they’re just that.
So, the takeaway from this virtual check in is, if you want to know something. Ask. And on that note, let me know what you would like me to cover next week. DM me or start a discussion here. I’m all ears, as they say.
In the meantime, stay healthy, stay positive, and remember that we will find our way. I promise.